


SHSL future arc prompts

by SHSL_ex_SOLDIER



Series: SHSL prompts [3]
Category: Dangan Ronpa, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-11
Updated: 2017-06-05
Packaged: 2018-08-08 03:01:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 75
Words: 49,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7740826
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER/pseuds/SHSL_ex_SOLDIER
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>DR3 Future Arc-centric prompts. Either set there or about the characters from there.<br/>List of chapters inside with corresponding characters.</p><p>*Compilation of posts written at the requests of the fandom.<br/>Taken from my tumblr, shsl-shipper-gamer-fangirl. You can request prompts there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Index

  1. Kirigiri’s NG code is “can’t talk to Naegi - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  2. Hope meets Hope - Izuru Kamukura x Makoto Naegi
  3. Loyalty - Juzo Sakakura x Kyosuke Munakata
  4. Words Unsaid - Kyosuke Munakata x Chisa Yukizome
  5. Rules are Meant to be Broken -  Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri 
  6. Helpless - Makoto Naegi x Byakuya Togami
  7. No More Games - Makoto Naegi x Touko Fukawa
  8. You don’t need to be me. Be yourself. - Makoto Naegi x Ryota Mitarai
  9. You’re Okay - Kyouko Kirigiri x Aoi Asahina
  10. Seiko Kimura Being a Precious Dork
  11. True Strength - Makoto Naegi + Great Gozu
  12. If Only Friendship - Seiko Kimura + Ruruka Andou
  13. Save You - Seiko Kimura sdr2 au
  14. Supervisor - Seiko Kimura, Makoto Naegi, Kyouko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Touko Fukawa, Aoi Asahina, Yasuhiro Hagakure 
  15. We Used to be Kids - Ruruka Andou + Seiko Kimura + Sonosuke Izayoi
  16. Less Sugar But Sweeter - Ruruka Andou x Seiko Kimura
  17. Bittersweet Candy - Ruruka Andou + Seiko Kimura
  18. Get Wrecked -  Makoto Naegi x Mukuro Ikusaba
  19. Bodyguard - Makoto Naegi x Mukuro Ikusaba
  20. This is Reality - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  21. Previously on Ultra Fluff Girls - Komaru Naegi x Touko Fukawa
  22. Different Perspective dr3 - Makoto Naegi x Mukuro Ikusaba
  23. Heterochromia - Izuru Kamukura/Hajime Hinata
  24. How to Save a Life - Ryota Mitarai x Seiko Kimura
  25. Talk Less - Touko Fukawa x Komaru Naegi
  26. Hygiene Habits - nagisa and the rest of the kids
  27. NEET in Space - Monaka Towa
  28. Monaka Becomes an Adult - Monaka Towa + Nagito Komaeda
  29. Scouting - Koichi Kizakura
  30. Close Calls and Closed Hands - Koichi Kizakura + Kyouko Kirigiri
  31. Clenched Fists and Closed Hearts - Koichi Kizakura + Kyouko Kirigiri
  32. Uncle Kizakura - Koichi Kizakura + Kyouko Kirigiri
  33. Uncanny Uncle - Koichi Kizakura + Kyouko Kirigiri
  34. Aoi Asahina Finds Out About Yuta - Makoto Naegi, Kyouko Kirigiri, Byakuya Togami, Touko Fukawa, Aoi Asahina, Yasuhiro Hagakure
  35. Hagakure Predicts a Happy Future (Foundation) - DR3 Ensemble
  36. Hands Off - Kyouko Kirigiri
  37. Don’t Wake Me Up - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  38. You are My Reason to Die - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  39. Family Get-Together - Kyouko Kirigiri + Koichi Kizakura + Jin Kirigiri
  40. Passing the Fourth Time Limit - Kyouko Kirigiri
  41. Goodnight and Goodbyes - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  42. Anything But Professional office au - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  43. Just According to Keikaku - Kyosuke Munakata + Chisa Yukizome + Juzo Sakakura
  44. I’m Glad to Have Met You - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  45. You Are Not Abandoned - Kyosuke Munakata x Juzo Sakakura
  46. Don’t Lose Hope - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  47. Finding Strength in the Weak - Ryota Mitarai + Makoto Naegi
  48. No One Gets Left Behind - Makoto Naegi x Aoi Asahina
  49. Local Man Blames Despair on Everything - Kyosuke Munakata, Juzo Sakakura, Chisa Yukizome
  50. Deleted Scenes - SDR2 Ensemble
  51. Afterlife Theater - Junko Enoshima, Mukuro Ikusaba, Yasuke Matsuda, Yuuto Kamishiro, Sayaka Maizono, Leon Kuwata, Chihiro Fujisaki, Mondo Oowada, Kiyotaka Ishimaru, Hifumi Yamada, Celestia Ludenberg, Sakura Oogami, Chisa Yukizome, Juzo Sakakura, Daisuku Bandai, Great Gozu, Seiko Kimura, Ruruka Andou, Sonosuke Izayoi, Miaya Gekkogahara, Koichi Kizakura, Jin Kirigiri, Chiaki Nanami
  52. Acceptance - Ryota Mitarai + SDR2 Ensemble
  53. His Hope Answered - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  54. Road to Recovery - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  55. Rumors - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  56. Parental Guidance - Nagito Komaeda + Monaka Towa + SDR2 Ensemble
  57. Student Warriors of Hope - the kids + Touko Fukawa, Komaru Naegi
  58. DR3 version SDR2 - Hajime Hinata, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryuu, Kazuichi Souda, Sonia Nevermind, Akane Owari + DR3 Ensemble
  59. Soldier Meets Killer Killer - Makoto Naegi x Mukuro Ikusaba + Takumi Hijirihara
  60. Tamed Soldier -  Makoto Naegi x Mukuro Ikusaba + Ryota Mitarai
  61. Shipper and Bystander - Aoi Asahina + Ryota Mitarai
  62. Meet the Future Sister-in-Law - Komaru Naegi + Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri
  63. Reckless Without You - Makoto Naegi x Kyouko Kirigiri + Aoi Asahina + Byakuya Togami + Touko Fukawa + Yasuhiro Hagakure
  64. Future Foundation Wants Their Underwear Back - Makoto Naegi + DR3 Ensemble
  65. Munakata Gets an Ahoge and Sakakura & Yukizome Lose Their Shit - Kyosuke Munakata + Chisa Yukizome + Juzo Sakakura
  66. Friendship Underwear - Kyosuke Munakata + Chisa Yukizome + Juzo Sakakura
  67. Monaka’s High School Debut - the kids + Touko Fukawa + Komaru Naegi + Nagito Komaeda + Monaka Towa 
  68. SDR2 Komaeda vs SDR2.5 Komaeda - Nagito Komaeda
  69. Uncle Cockblock - Koichi Kizakura + Kyouko Kirigiri
  70. Phone Calls, Love, and Other Delusions - Byakuya Togami x Touko Fukawa
  71. The Friend of my Friend - Seiko Kimura + Sonosuke Izayoi
  72. Meet the Future Sister-In-Law - Komaru Naegi x Touko Fukawa + Makoto Naegi
  73. Welcoming Speech to New Hope('s Peak Academy) - Makoto Naegi




	2. Kirigiri’s NG code is “can’t talk to Naegi”

Kirigiri couldn’t talk to Naegi.   
  
Well it was more accurate to say that she’s forbidden from doing so. Technically, she could still talk to him however she’s almost certain that no words would be worth the poison. Almost. There’s always the possibility where she will need to speak and put his life above hers but for now she tried not to think about it. At the very least, she’s grateful that she got a fairly easy NG code to follow.   
  
Easy yet downright frustrating.   
  
Granted that she wasn’t the conversational type but still, losing the ability to properly converse with the one she trusted the most in this trying time, in her whole life in fact, was more devastating than she thought as a handicap. And while her NG code forbade her from “just talking” she couldn’t take the risk of writing messages instead unless she wanted her assumption to be proven wrong with her early demise. This forbidden rule was troublesome.   
  
It had a lot of demerits.   
  
“You still won’t talk to me.” Her companion sullenly said.   
  
Miscommunication was among the list.   
  
“Is that because of your NG code?” Makoto asked but her lips were sealed.    
  
As much as she wanted to answer, she just couldn’t. She was afraid that even the slightest nod was enough to count as a form of talking. So she stayed silent and unresponsive.   
  
He just shook his head. “Nevermind. If it is about your NG code then don’t answer that.”   
  
She didn’t plan to anyways.   
  
“Well this brings back memories.”  He chuckled meekly. “Remember that one time when you didn’t talk to me at all?”   
  
Of course she did. It was during their time locked up in that school and she was so upset with him that she avoided him the whole time. It was an unpleasant memory for both of them.   
  
“At least this time I know it isn’t intentional.” He joked to lighten the mood.   
  
She couldn’t help but internally giggle at his efforts. Even during this whole nightmare, he was still so full of light and it was contagious.   
  
“Hey, can I hold your hand?” He asked all of a sudden.   
  
She couldn’t refuse him. Nor could she accept his offer.   
  
“Just dodge my hand if you can’t or don’t want to.” He said understandingly as he proceeded to take one of her hands in his.   
  
He gave it a light reassuring squeeze.   
  
“Everything will be okay. Eventually. We’ve overcome this before and we can do it again.” He said it full of determination and trust and a little bit of something else as well. He smiled fondly at her. “Together. Just like always.”   
  
She wanted to tell him something she couldn’t. So for now she settled with just squeezing his hand and hopefully he’d understand what she wanted to say.   
  
Their fingers simultaneously intertwined.   
  
Kirigiri couldn’t talk to Naegi but there’s more to communication than just using words.


	3. Hope meets Hope

What happens when two hopes meet?   
  
“Hello, I’m Makoto Naegi.” He introduced himself.   
  
“I know.” Izuru said impassively, not at all bothering to do his part of the introduction.   
  
“Well I guess that’s a given. Then I’ll just cut to the chase.” Naegi briefly chuckled weakly and then ultimately hardened his face. A serious tone replaced his usual lighthearted one. “I’m not here to hurt you. In fact, it’s actually the opposite. I want to help you.”   
  
Izuru regarded him for a long while with a stoic face. “…Is that really the truth? What about your peers?”   
  
“I’ll be honest. Future Foundation wants you dead.” Naegi nervously admitted.   
  
“I see…” He replied not at all fazed by the news.   
  
“But even though I’m part of that, I’m still my own person.” “I don’t think anyone deserves to die no matter what they did. And that includes you, Kamukura. I want to help you.”   
  
“How boring.” He rebuffed. “If you really plan to help me then you’ll become a traitor. Not only to your organization but to the world as well.”   
  
“Even so, I want to help you!” Naegi said determinedly.   
  
“Why go through such lengths for me?” Izuru raised his chin as he coldly questioned him.   
  
“Because deep down I know that you’re a good person.” Naegi said with so much emotion that it was hard not be moved. “Because I believe in you.”   
  
“…” Izuru kept his silent stance not at all revealing any hint of emotion.   
  
Naegi raised his hand as he offered, “So will you let me help you?” He said it softly and with a certain alluring tenderness to it. He sounded warm and safe.   
  
“Do what you want.” Izuru deadpanned as he took Naegi’s hand and gave it a half-commitant shake. “It doesn’t interest me either way.”   
  
“Thank you.” Naegi instantly flashed his trademark hopeful smile. “You’ll get the help you need. I promise you.”   
  
What happens when two hopes meet?    
  
They don’t collide. Instead, they make contact.   
  
And maybe at some point, these two hopes would unite and create an even brighter future.


	4. Loyalty

Juzo faithfully believed in Kyosuke   
  
He has never met anyone else quite like him. Kyosuke was refined as well as ruthless but not in the way that Juzo was brash. Whatever Kyosuke set his goals to be, he would achieve them without fail. And his goals were on a whole new level. For a former SHSL Student Council President, his skills and ideals went beyond just the institution. He was aiming for world restoration, for the destruction of despair, and for the creation of true hope.    
  
He truly was a genius leader and Juzo willingly followed.    
  
Kyosuke was a man to acknowledge, respect, and admire. Juzo knew that if hope came in the form of a person then that person was  Kyosuke. He was aware of just how important  Kyosuke was to the world and Juzo won’t let anyone get in his way.   
  
Not even himself.   
  
“It’s such a shame. I never anticipated this outcome.” Kyosuke stated as coldly as his blade was even though his eyes held such a forlorn look. “Sorry. Nothing personal.”   
  
“Yeah, just do what you have to do.” Juzo said with his chin held high.   
  
A dreadfully long period of silence passed between them.   
  
“Do you regret it?” Kyosuke cryptically asked.   
  
Juzo snorted at this. Did he even have to ask? “Never.” He answered readily.   
  
“I see…” Kyosuke said and then courteously bowed to him one last time. His hurt frown was hidden by the gesture. “Thank you for all your hard work.”   
  
“It’s been an honor.” Juzo proudly said as he grinned, not at all scared by the inevitable but rather glad to have fulfilled his duty. “And good luck out there. I know you can do it.”   
  
Juzo faithfully believed in Kyosuke even as he was cut down by him.


	5. Words Unsaid

Kyosuke has something to say to Chisa.   
  
But he won’t say it. Not yet.   
  
There were matters more important and more urgent than this. With the world in despair, there was no time to waste on personal affairs. That’s why the sooner they save the world, the sooner he could say these words he’d been keeping from her all this time. This world was just not the appropriate setting for these matters. As long as there’s despair then there would be no hope for the future and right now, they needed to focus on the future more than the present.   
  
Or at least that’s what he told himself.   
  
Chisa was always beside him. Naturally, as if she had always belonged there. It was a spot she took upon for herself and he willingly let her. The two of them were inseparable. No matter how far apart they were, they were never truly separated. That’s just how strong their bond was.    
  
Nothing could cut their ties and anybody who would dare try would sooner get cut by his own blade. That’s right. It was already a given that they’d be together. The two of them were supposed to be there in a brighter future that they created themselves.   
  
A chandelier shattered all hopes for that.   
  
And as her broken lifeless body fell, so did his heart. Whatever shared future they were supposed to have was mercilessly erased. There’s no present for them and that future didn’t exist anymore. Now all he had with her was a past.   
  
Kyosuke has something to say to Chisa and now he won’t ever get the chance.


	6. Rules are Meant to be Broken

Kirigiri wasn’t supposed to talk to Naegi. However, given the choice between her life and his, she had already made that decision long before this ever happened.   
  
When she saw the blade reaching for him, oblivious to the imminent danger, she realized a lot of things simultaneously in a split second.   
  
She could never reach him in time.   
She could still save him.   
She had to DIE.

  
“Watch out, Naegi!” She yelled at the top of her lungs without hesitation.   
  
Upon hearing her, he reflexively sidestepped and narrowly missed the blade aiming for his neck. The sword sliced through the ground instead, causing the floor to cave-in and the assailant to fall through it. In the midst of all the chaos and dust, Naegi took this chance to flee and headed for Kirigiri.   
  
Naegi never did get to thank her.   
  
“Kirigiri?” He asked her in disbelief. He expected to see Kirigiri but never did he expect what he found instead.   
  
In front of him was not just Kirigiri but Kirigiri’s corpse.   
  
She was violently purple and she had blood unnaturally oozing out of her orifices. She was cold to touch and not a single breath left her. She was dead,   
  
“No, no, no! NO!” He yelled in anger as he desperately slammed his fists onto the ground. “WHY? Why did this happen?” Even though his vision was blurred by his tears, he clearly saw the NG code on her bracelet.   
  
[Can’t talk to Makoto Naegi]   
  
“This is… all my fault?” It wasn’t a question anymore. It was a fact.   
  
He did this to her.   
  
“I’m sorry, Kirigiri.” He choked as he held onto her with crushing guilt and relentless regrets wracking through his sobs. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”    
  
He apologized again and again as he sobbed harder and harder.   
  
“Please, forgive me.” He whispered, his voice hoarse and his spirit broken.   
  
She never did reply. After all, the dead don’t speak.   
  
But no matter how despair-inducing this was, he still didn’t lose sight of hope. Or perhaps it was precisely because this was so despair-inducing that he chose to hold on tighter to hope. Kirigiri gave up her life for him and he’d be damned if he let her sacrifice go to waste. It can’t be for nothing.    
  
If she believed that his life was worth it then he was going to prove it.   
  
With a heavy heart and hardened resolve, he had to move on.   
  
Naegi then tenderly held her hands between his as he talked to her one last time with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes, “Thank you, Kirigiri.”   
  
And if Kirigiri could smile even in her death then so should he.


	7. Helpless

Togami was helpless.   
  
There was an ongoing killing game and he was again forced to watch from the sideline, from the comfort of the other side of the screen, from a place where he could do nothing to help the others.   
  
He saw it all. The turmoil of Future Foundation, the conflict among its members, the bodycount going higher even before the designated time of the traitor. They were all squabbling amongst themselves rather than cooperating and it was all too frustrating to watch. He watched his coworkers, his comrades, his friends, as they struggled against all odds even against their fellow associates.    
  
All he could do was watch.   
  
They tried entering the premises time and time again but to no avail. They were always forced back with each attempt and ended up feeling more and more helpless each time. The defenses were impenetrable and they were left with no other option other than to wait for this hellish nightmare to end and hope that somehow they’d make it out alive. That he’d make it out alive.    
  
And so he watched. And he hoped.   
  
Until Hope himself returned safely.   
  
“Togami! Am I glad to see you again! I was so worried.” Naegi shouted as he limped towards him and almost fell if it weren’t for Togami catching him.   
  
Togami clicked his tongue and then scolded him. “Tch. Again you worry over the most trivial things. Did you not think I was capable of taking care of myself in your absence?” Even though he said it in his usual harsh tone, there was a certain softness around its edges.    
  
“Well when you put it that way.” He chuckled weakly, almost tiredly, but still smiling nevertheless. “I guess I just really missed you.”   
  
Idiot. He should be the one saying that.   
  
“You have good reasons to miss me.” Togami approved as he then awkwardly but also affectionately patted Naegi on his head as he took comfort over the fact that he was holding him alive and not his corpse.   
  
Togami was helpless but with Naegi alive at least he wasn’t hopeless.


	8. No More Games

Fukawa has had enough of games.   
  
She’s already been through enough of them. There’s the first killing game which she still wasn’t over about it. She’s coped with the trauma but it’s still too early to say that she’s recovered ever since then. Then there was this game she got herself involved in at Towa City. That too was a hellish nightmare in its own way. Bodies littered everywhere and children mindlessly killing adults. Those images were still freshly burned in her mind.   
  
And now she’s part of a third game. Another killing game.   
  
As if she hasn’t had enough of games that weren’t fun at all, she just had to get sucked into another one. What? Did the universe have a grudge on her or something? Even though she’s not the only victim here, she felt personally attacked. This was her third time for crying out loud! What’s worse was that she’s a participant again and there’s also the fact of how utterly defenseless she was when the sleeping gas takes effect.    
  
She could fall asleep and not wake up.   
  
She could die.   
  
The stupid bear was back and there’s already a corpse. Now they were running away because everyone else was stupid enough to pin the blame on Naegi. She internally scoffed. Huge softie Naegi, a traitor? Were they even watching when the first game happened? That guy was a saint! He’d be anything but a traitor. And what’s with all this unnecessary violence? She knew that Naegi would have willingly given himself up if they just asked but no, they had to swing swords and legs at him. What the hell was wrong with Future Foundation members?   
  
And why the hell was she here?   
  
“If I knew that I was just going to end up in another stupid game then I wouldn’t have rushed becoming a member.” Fukawa muttered bitterly.   
  
“Sorry, Fukawa. It’s all my fault you ended up with me here.” Naegi said as consolation for her.   
  
“What are you even apologizing for?” She asked outraged. “It’s all THAT bitch’s fault!” She yelled and then wildly scratched her head in frustration. “I-If only she didn’t start this whole thing then we wouldn’t have to go through this hell AGAIN. We wouldn’t even have to had gone through this the first time!”   
  
“I know.” He solemnly agreed with a frown. “But there’s nothing we can do to change the past.”   
  
“Yeah, no shit sherlock.” She murmured. “I don’t even know how I survived the first one. How am I going to s-survive this one too?”   
  
“Don’t worry. You will survive.” Naegi said resolutely. “I just know it.”   
  
“And just how will I do that? Don’t tell me you’re hope is immune to sedatives.” She sarcastically commented.   
  
“Well, no it’s not.” He weakly chuckled. “But at least this time we’re together.”   
  
Fukawa jolted at his declaration and stuttered uncontrollably, “W-w-what do you mean by that?”   
  
He just smiled back. “We weren’t really that much bonded during the first game. But this time we trust each other.” His smile broadened. “I believe that we can achieve anything with our bonds. We will figure this out. I’m sure of it.”   
  
How could such a pure person like him exist?   
  
She wanted to believe in him just as much as he believed in them,   
  
Fukawa sighed. “You’re a ball of sunshine as ever.”   
  
“Optimism is my only redeeming quality.” He laughed lamely.   
  
“You better hold on to your words because I will kill you if we don’t survive.”    
  
“We will. We survived before, we can survive again.” He reassured her.   
  
“I swear I will haunt you if I die first! Ghosts are real you know!!” She threatened him as she looked back and then her eyes widened.   
  
Without warning, a blade launched forward and aimed for his head.   
  
Only to be parried by a pair of trademark scissors.   
  
“Oi oi oi oi!” Syo as her head still sizzled from electricity. “Nobody aims sharp weapons at Makaroonie except for me! Got that, Yu Narukami ripoff?”   
  
Fukawa has had enough of games that’s why she won’t let herself or Naegi get played again.


	9. You don’t need to be me. Be yourself.

Ryota just wanted to be like Naegi.   
  
Why wouldn’t he want to be like him? He was the Ultimate Hope! He was a hero to look up to, a main protagonist in this chaotic world and he was there to inspire everyone and save the world. Meanwhile, Ryota was just a background character. A useless minor character in the grand scheme of things who couldn’t even do a single thing in his life right. That’s why he always looked up to Naegi. Despite everything going wrong for Naegi, he always kept bouncing back and he came back stronger each time.    
  
If only Ryota could be just like him.   
  
“Are you okay?” Naegi asked in concern.   
  
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Ryota said even though he was far from fine.   
  
“Good. For a moment there, you looked really intense.” Naegi said as he then weakly joked, “But I don’t blame you. This isn’t exactly what you’d call a stress-free situation.”   
  
The joke fell flat. The tension rose.   
  
“Hey, Naegi.” Ryota timidly called his attention. “Can I ask you something?”   
  
“Sure, go ahead.” Naegi smiled back goodnaturedly.   
  
Ryota’s fists reflexively clenched before he asked, “How do I become like you?”   
  
Naegi blinked, stunned at the abnormal question. “Pardon? I don’t think I understand what you mean.”   
  
“You’re always so bright and hopeful. And you save people a lot. You give everyone so much hope, it’s inspiring.” Ryota explained as his voice grew louder and more confident with each praise.    
  
He was smiling. He was only ever smiling whenever he was talking about Naegi. That’s just how much he had affected him. He admired him more than anyone else and naturally, he wanted to be more like him, he just didn’t know how.    
  
“Is there any way for me to be like you?” He asked with an odd mixture of admiration and desperation at the edge.   
  
Naegi was taken aback yet again.   
  
“I think you’re giving me too much credit.” He humbly said as he then proceeded to explain his side of things. “I’m really not that dazzling bright, I’m just more positive than others. Some even get annoyed at me for that.” He chuckled a bit and then frowned forlornly. “And I may have saved people but there are still more that I haven’t saved and have failed to save.”   
  
However, Naegi’s words did nothing to Ryota’s admiration for him.   
  
“But even so, you’re still amazing!” He earnestly yelled at him as if hurt that Naegi would even say such things about himself.   
  
Naegi warmly smiled at him. “I’m happy that you think of me that way, Ryota. But deep down, I’m really just an average guy just like you.”   
  
Just like him?   
  
Ryota shook his head in disbelief. “No way. You’re the Ultimate Hope.”   
  
“That’s just a title we made up.” Naegi clarified but he could tell that this conversation was going nowhere and so he tried a different approach. “But enough about me, what do YOU think about yourself?”   
  
“M-me?” Ryota stuttered at the sudden confrontation. What about him? What did he think about himself? “I think…” He paused.    
  
Ryota thought that he was many things. But in summary, he thought that–   
  
“I think I’m no good.” He replied solemnly.   
  
“Why would you say that?” Naegi asked incredulously.   
  
“Well I’m useless. My talent can’t be used to help anyone and I never really have saved anybody before. No matter how much effort I put in, everyone around me just ends up in misery.” He said through gritted teeth as he controlled himself from having a breakdown in front of his hero.   
  
“I think you’re being too harsh on yourself.” Naegi gently consoled him.   
  
“I’m just stating the facts.” Ryota bitterly said as a few memories popped up inside his head. “I just end up bringing everyone down.”   
  
“You’ve got that wrong.”    
  
Naegi’s voice was clear and bright as ever.   
  
“We’ve been talking for a while now and I’m still here. I’m not miserable at all.” He said as he placed a hand comfortingly on Ryota’s shoulder.   
  
“That’s because you’re the Ultimate Hope. You have immunity.” Ryota refuted.   
  
“That’s not how hope works and like I said before it’s just a title.” Naegi sighed as once again, they were derailing into that path. He leaned forward and whispered, “Hey, want to know the secret to becoming hope?”   
  
Ryota’s eyes widened in anticipation. “Y-yes! Please!” He excitedly stuttered.   
  
Naegi beamed at him and then proudly told him the secret, “Be yourself.”   
  
Ryota was stunned. “What?”   
  
“That’s all there is to it. Just be yourself.” Naegi insisted.   
  
Ryota just shook his head as if he just heard nonsense instead of sage advice. “But I’m just a horrible human being. How can I help anyone when I’m so useless?” He asked desperately.   
  
And Naegi just smiled wider, gentler, in a way that made Ryota stop thinking self-deprecating thoughts.   
  
“You’re not useless. Not to me.” Naegi earnestly said. “You may not know it but you’re already helping me plenty right now.”   
  
“Really?” Ryota timidly asked. “How so?”   
  
“Just having someone to talk with like this is comforting. Knowing that there’s someone here that trusts and believes in me so much makes me want to work harder.” His gaze was determined and held a strength that was hard to look away from as he proudly said, “YOU inspire ME.”   
  
Ryota audibly gulped. Him? Inspiring THE Ultimate Hope? He did that? “I do?”   
  
“Yes, you do. And you did that just by being yourself.” Naegi seconded as he beamed wider. “That’s why, thank you, Ryota.”   
  
Ryota didn’t know what to say to that. Here was his hero thanking him just for… for being himself? Even someone like him could actually be of help, of inspiration. Without him knowing, deep inside him, a seed of hope was planted.   
  
“You don’t have to be like me. I don’t think we’re ever meant to become like someone else other than ourselves.” Naegi said thoughtfully as he then offered his hand. “But if it’s any consolation, you already have me.”   
  
“I guess that’s fine too.” Ryota said as he took his hand and got up.   
  
Ryota just wanted to be like Naegi. But for now, being himself was enough.   
  
And being with him was more than enough.


	10. You're Okay

Asahina ran forward.   
  
It’s only been an hour and there were already three dead bodies, and one of them didn’t even need the traitor to be killed. Asahina has broken her record of corpses seen in just one hour and she’s worried that if she didn’t hurry enough, there was a new record waiting to be set. Even though running was not her forte, she kicked off as if her life depended on it.   
  
As if her friend’s life depended on it.   
  
There’s still one more important person in her life that she has yet to confirm her whereabouts and her status. She knew that with Great Gozu’s death, there wasn’t supposed to be any other death unless of course they were killed directly or indirectly like in Bandai’s case. They were hunting them down, her, Naegi, and Kirigiri. She and Naegi were fine but it’s Kirigiri she was worried about. She trusted Kirigiri to be capable enough to protect herself from any assailants but she couldn’t help worrying nonetheless. What if the attacker overpowered Kirigiri? What if Kirigiri was forced to break her NG code?   
  
Asahina ran faster at the thought.   
  
She didn’t stop or slow down, she just kept running. And when she finally caught a glimpse of that purple hair, she just ran faster. Her heart sped up as she sprinted and saw her friend’s full form moving and very much alive. She too felt so alive in that moment as she ran faster in her excitement.   
  
Asahina ran forward and into Kirigiri’s arms.   
  
“Kyoko!” She yelled in relief as she embraced Kirigiri with all her might. She felt warm and safe and thank god, alive. “I’m so happy you’re okay!”   
  
“Yeah…” Kirigiri wheezed as she comfortingly patted her friend. She couldn’t help but smile as well. “I’m glad you’re safe too.”   
  
Asahina just tightened her embrace and stayed like that a few seconds longer than necessary. Even Kirigiri’s warm hand lingered even if only so just they could savor this one moment where they were both safe and live.   
  
This was the closest thing to comfort that they could get in this nightmare.   
  
And although everything wasn’t exactly okay, at least for now, they were alive.   
  
At least for now, they were together. And they were both okay.


	11. Seiko Kimura Being a Precious Dork

Seiko being a precious dork   
  
Ever since she was little, Seiko had always been timid… and self-conscious, and anxious, and a pushover, and well a whole lot of self-esteem issues.   
  
But even so that just made her kinder.   
  
She’s so sensitive not just about herself but about others as well which is why she helps out whenever anyone asks her of anything. There’s also the factor that she didn’t want to disappoint the other person, but honestly, she’s just too kind for her own good even when she doesn’t admit it. That’s why she gets along well with others although she’s a bit introverted so she only tends to hang out with just her closest friends.   
  
Most of the time though, she prefers to be by herself.   
  
Alone no one would judge her and she was always alone whenever she worked with her medicines. She doesn’t want anyone to see her while she tinkered with chemicals not only because it was dangerous, but also because it was embarrassing. Extremely embarrassing.   
  
Despite wearing a respirator mask, it hardly covered her face or the ridiculous expressions that she made. For a person who looked so detached, she had the most expressive face ever which was why she was so conscious about it. And she’s even worse whenever she was using her talent. She’d giggle and smile lopsidedly in excitement as she tested out the drugs. Then she’d scowl and dramatically scream in disappointment if the effects weren’t exactly as she expected. And in some cases, her face was so expressive that even her hair moved according to her emotion. Must be a side effect from the drugs.   
  
In short, she was prone to geeking out in the lab. Extremely so.   
  
And the true reason why Seiko preferred to work alone was that she didn’t want anyone else to find out that she was a dork.   
  
Even though it was obvious to everyone else.


	12. True Strength

Great Gozu wasn’t just strong, he was also good at recognizing the strength in others.   
  
And to him, Makoto Naegi had a strength unlike other’s.   
  
“Future Foundation sure is blessed to have someone strong like you on our side.” He commented after Naegi’s inspiring speech.   
  
“Thanks. But I’m not really that athletic.” Naegi weakly chuckled.   
  
“I’m not talking about that kind strength, moron.” He snorted. “You have a strength of your own, don’t you?”   
  
An incredible strength.   
  
“I wouldn’t really call it my own strength.” Naegi sheepishly replied as he smiled faintly. “A lot of my strength comes from my friends who believe in me.” Then his smile became a full blown earnest grin that brightened up the room as he proudly admitted, “I wouldn’t be this strong without them.”   
  
A strength forged through the bonds of trust and hope.   
  
“Ahaha! See! That’s what I’m talking about!” Great Gozu laughed boisterously as he patted him on the back. “You’re strong. Strong in the real way!”   
  
Naegi winced as he rubbed his sore back but still smiled gratefully at him nevertheless. “Thank you. You’re also strong too.” He pointed out. “Not just in the literal sense. I admire you risking your life so others won’t get killed. I think that’s really honorable of you.”   
  
“Damn right, I’m strong!” Great Gozu firmly agreed. “That’s why I use this strength to protect the weak.“ He then flexed his arms. “Physical strength isn’t everything but there are things that only I can do because of this.”   
  
To each their own strength.   
  
“Likewise, there are things only your strength can do.” Great Gozu continued as he raised his fist at Naegi. “That’s why wouldn’t it be better if we just combined our strengths and cover all bases?”   
  
Naegi stared back at him in awe for a second, and in the next he smiled brightly as he bumped his much smaller fist with Great Gozu’s. “I completely agree!”   
  
Great Gozu wasn’t just strong, he was also good at recognizing the strength in others. And to him, Makoto Naegi was strong, strong in the real way.   
  
Together, their combined strengths would be unmatched.   
  
“Then let’s get our asses moving and show them our true strength!”


	13. If Only Friendship

If only they had just talked it out.   
  
“You were my hero, Seiko. You could do anything and you did anything I wanted.” Ruruka said as she cowered behind the glass.   
  
I trusted you.   
  
I wanted a friend.   
  
Seiko pounded on the glass as she yelled at her. “Because you said I was your friend, I trusted you and I loved you.”   
  
I don’t want to betray you because you trust me.   
  
I want to help you because you trust me.   
  
Ruruka stepped back but her gaze didn’t waver as she admitted, “I asked for your help because I trusted you.”   
  
“I helped you because I trusted you.” Seiko wailed as she pounded harder, her fists were already bleeding.   
  
At first, we were really friends.   
  
“I asked Seiko for so much because she trusted me.” Ruruka weakly defended herself.   
  
“Ruruka said she trusted me but she was only using me.” Seiko angrily retorted.   
  
When did everything go wrong?   
  
And finally, just like a reflection of their bond, the glass separating them shattered into pieces.   
  
“So this is it, huh?” Ruruka said as she frowned bitterly. “You’re going to kill me.”   
  
“I… I won’t do that.” Seiko breathed heavily as she towered over her menacingly. “I can’t kill you.”   
  
“Ha? But you were chasing us this whole time with killing intent!” Ruruka pointed out.   
  
“I know! I-I panicked okay!” Seiko said exasperatedly as she held her head. “And then one thing led to another and we were fighting. I just want this stupid game to be over so that no one else will die.” Then she softly muttered, “Especially not you, Ruruka.”   
  
Ruruka chuckled bitterly. “You were always a softie, weren’t you, Seiko?”   
  
“That’s why I was such an easy pushover.” Seiko wistfully added.   
  
“You’re wrong. You’re not a pushover!” Ruruka corrected her without even thinking as the words just came pouring out of her mouth. “You’re a really good person and I…” She bit her lip and forced the words she should have said a long time ago. “Took advantage of that. Sorry.”   
  
A tense silence passed between them.   
  
“I just wanted a friend.”   
  
“And I trusted you.”   
  
Another wave of tension filled the room.   
  
Seiko took a deep breath and calmed herself. Despite her hulking figure, she looked so timid and hesitant as she asked, “Can we… still be friends?”   
  
Ruruka’s eyes widened in surprise. “Why would you ask that? After everything I did to you? And have you forgotten that we could get killed any moment?”   
  
“It’s precisely because we’re in this kind of situation that makes me ask this question.” She explained as she held her determined gaze. “Even if I can’t save anyone, at the very least, I don’t want to lose my friend before anything else happens.”   
  
“Seiko…”   
  
“So this time, I want us to be proper friends.” She bowed deeply, almost desperately as she pleaded. “Please, forgive me.”   
  
There was a tense moment between them, neither accepting or rejecting each other. Just both of them stuck in the moment, in between.   
  
Until Ruruka charged at Seiko and embraced her.   
  
“Idiot! I’m the one who should be apologizing!” Ruruka scolded her as she cried. “Of course! We’ve always been friends! And we’re still be friends. We just had a really long fight all this time.”   
  
It took them years and a heated confrontation to get to this moment but all of that seemed nothing in comparison to how relieved they were to have each other again.   
  
“You’re my precious friend, Seiko.”   
  
“You’re my dearest friend, Ruruka.”   
  
If only they just talked it out then maybe, things would have turned out differently.


	14. Save You

Seiko just wanted to save lives.   
  
That’s all she ever wanted. That’s why her talent dealt with medicine. It was all for the sake of helping other people, no, not just helping them, she wanted to save them. For her, life is important and something that must be absolutely protected. No matter who it is, every living thing deserves to live. No matter how despicable the person is, they still have the human right to live and Seiko respected that. More than that, she wanted to protect that.   
  
That’s why she cooperated with Naegi when he said he wanted to save the Remnants of Despair.   
  
These people were the absolute worst of the worst but they were still people nonetheless. And if she had to choose between killing or saving them, she’d choose the latter in any situation, even if it cost her life. There’s already so much death in the world that she didn’t want to add more to it. She wanted to rebuild the world just as much as Future Foundation strived for but she also wanted to save as many lives as she could in the process.   
  
Seiko wanted to do something, to save someone, to save everyone.   
  
“Um… I’m here to give the next batch of dosages.” She timidly announced her presence in the room.   
  
“About time you came in.” Togami haughtily greeted her.   
  
“Hey, now! Don’t be so mean to Seiko!” Asahina scolded him.   
  
“H-How dare you order my w-white knight!” Fukawa glared at her.   
  
“Not again. You guys just fought like seconds ago! Seriously, relax!” Hagakure exasperatedly wailed.   
  
The survivors are the same as always, Seiko noted.   
  
“H-How are they doing?” Seiko asked curiously.   
  
“They’re stable.” Kirigiri answered promptly. “It won’t be long before we proceed to the next phase of the plan.”   
  
The next phase- the Neo World Program.   
  
“Can they…” Seiko paused. “Really be saved?”   
  
“Of course. Everyone can be saved.” This time it was Naegi who answered her. Unlike her, he looked confident about this, no, not confident but hopeful. “We just have to believe in them!”   
  
“Is this really… enough?” She asked hesitantly.   
  
“We don’t know. I can’t say for sure that it’s enough.” He shook his head and then smiled tiredly at her. “But we definitely did our best. That’s why we shouldn’t lose hope in the efforts that we all put in.”   
  
Her heart clenched at his words. Too many times did she put in the effort but was never rewarded. Too many times she couldn’t do anything to save someone. Too many times she’s lost lives.   
  
How could she not lose hope when she didn’t even believe in herself?   
  
“Thank you, Seiko.” Naegi spoke gently, the tenderness in his voice cut through her self-deprecating thoughts as she stared at him wide-eyed.   
  
The Ultimate Hope was thanking her?   
  
“We couldn’t have done this without you.” He said sincerely.   
  
She just shook her head. “I just helped because you said you would save them. And–”   
  
“And we will.” He finished her sentence, his words full of solid resolve and unwavering hope. “We will definitely save them. Believe in it. Believe in us.”   
  
Seiko just wanted to save lives.    
  
And for once in her life, Seiko believed that maybe she could save lives.


	15. Supervisor

Seiko was now the supervisor of the original 6 survivors.   
  
She’s not sure why they thought it was a good idea to have her lead them, she didn’t even trust herself with others, but orders were orders so now she had to properly handle this group of traumatized kids. Well, maybe kids was exaggerating since they’re not that far apart in years. But then again they had two years of memories wiped off so did that make them even younger in mindset? Not like it mattered, she’s just distracting herself from the matters at hand. She has absolutely no idea what to do with them.   
  
Even though she’s the supervisor, she felt more like a bystander.   
  
After the briefing and introductions, they dove straight into work mode. It’s only then that she realized just how unprepared she was for this.   
  
Seiko’s still not used to leading others so Kyouko ended up taking the reigns most of the time. Makoto was supportive all throughout and he helped her whenever she had trouble dealing with the rest of them. There was Byakuya who was efficient at what he did but he was also difficult to deal with. Aoi was a hard worker and enthusiastic at that even though she’s more energy than actual output. She’s still not sure how to deal with Touko since she’s still mad at being on probation. On the other hand was Yasuhiro who was well… just being himself and doing nothing productive.    
  
A lot of times she had to ask herself just how on earth did this group of people survive the killing game.   
  
And a lot of times she remembers that this group of people were actually friends even though they had the oddest way of showing it.   
  
“Ah, hey there, Supes!” Yasuhiro cheerfully greeted her.   
  
“How many times do I have to tell you? It’s supervisor, not ‘supes’.” Seiko corrected him exasperatedly.   
  
“Seiiiiiiko!” Aoi shouted as she ran up to her and hugged her tightly. “You’re back! We missed you so much!”   
  
Seiko awkwardly patted her back, now used to Aoi’s affectionate nature. “Yes, well uh, I’m back.” She still gets flustered over it.   
  
“It was getting boring without you around. Honestly, how irresponsible can you be?” Byakuya said in his usual condescending tone but now Seiko knew that’s just the way he normally talks.   
  
“I-It was orders! It couldn’t be helped!” Seiko defended herself.   
  
“Leave him be. That’s just his way of saying he missed you.” Kyouko commented with an amused smirk. “Good work as always, supervisor.”   
  
“Thank you.” Seiko said with a goofy smile. It’s not every day she got praised and Kyouko rarely gave out praise. She smiled brighter.   
  
“Welcome back, Seiko.” Makoto smiled warmly at her. “How was your day?”   
  
“Getting better.” Seiko happily replied as they all started another long but lighthearted conversation.   
  
And Seiko couldn’t help but feel so blessed. She still doesn’t know how to lead these kids as her subordinates but maybe that’s for the best. What she had right now was something even better.   
  
Seiko wasn’t just the supervisor of the original 6 survivors but she was also their friend.


	16. We Used to be Kids

We used to be kids.   
  
“Seiko!” Ruruka called out as she sprinted towards another girl. She brightly smiled and held out a few colorfully wrapped candies. “Here! This is my latest work. Try it!”   
  
“You know I can’t eat those.” Seiko grimaced behind her mask.   
  
“Then more for me.” Sonosuke eagerly claimed as he wiped off his drool.   
  
Ruruka’s face instantly fell as she disappointedly spoke, “Oh, right. You can’t.”   
  
A pang of guilt striked through her heart when she saw just how down her friend was and knew that she was the reason. That’s why she spoke up, “Um, even if I can’t eat them that doesn’t mean I don’t like them.”   
  
“Huh? How does that work?”   
  
“When Ruruka gives me candy, I’m a little sad that I can’t eat them even though I really want to.” She paused and then leaned forward, trying hard to convey herself. “But I’m also really really happy! Because it’s from Ruruka, because it’s a gift from my friend, because of this it makes me the happiest.”   
  
Ruruka just stared in awe at her sudden confession.   
  
“That’s why…” Seiko hesitated for a moment. “Even if I can’t eat them, it doesn’t change how I feel about you.” And with all her awkwardness and all her heart, she confessed, “You’re still my very important friend!”   
  
Ruruka continued to stare at her.   
  
Until she broke into fits of laughter. “Hahaha! What are you getting so serious about? Weirdo.”   
  
“Eh? But you looked–”   
  
“Thank you, Seiko.” Ruruka smiled sincerely at her. “You’re also my very important friend.”   
  
And although Seiko was wearing a mask, anyone could tell from her beaming aura that she was also smiling.   
  
“Um, can I eat some sweets now?” Sonosuke timidly piped in.   
  
Much to the annoyance of Ruruka. “Geez, Sonosuke. Really, why don’t you read the mood!” She angrily scolded him.   
  
“So I can’t?” He frowned and he looked like he was on the verge of crying.   
  
She huffed. “Hmph. Fine, here but only one because you interrupted.”   
  
“Just one?” He longingly asked.   
  
“You can have my share too.” Seiko said and then gave a sideways glance to her other friend, “If it’s alright with Ruruka.”   
  
“Fine! He gets two!” She gave in as she handed him the sweets. “Be thankful that Seiko’s so nice.”   
  
“Thanks, Seiko!” He grinned wildly.   
  
She nodded slightly. “You’re welcome.”   
  
“You’re such a glutton, Sonosuke! And you’re too soft, Seiko!” Ruruka loudly complained even though she looked so happy while doing so. “Seriously, how did I end up with you two as friends?”   
  
Such was a memory of these childhood friends.   
  
We used to be kids. We used to be friends.   
  
But not anymore.


	17. Bittersweet Candy

In the end, Seiko never ate Ruruka’s candy.   
  
But even so she held on to it all this time. Even when she couldn’t eat it, even when they were wavering as friends, even when they were fighting at each other’s throats– even after all that, Seiko still kept the candy Ruruka gave her ever since the day they first met.   
  
Even as her corpse hang on the wall, the candy was still there beside her.   
  
It was mocking Ruruka.   
  
Although Seiko couldn’t eat it, she still had kept it all this years and brought it with her all this time. Seiko truly believed in her, she trusted in her, and she was earnestly trying hard as her friend. And Ruruka knew that. She knew that which was why she took advantage of that. It was because she knew that Seiko would always do anything Ruruka told her to so she ended up relying on her more than often.   
  
Then somewhere in the middle, everything went downhill.   
  
Where did she go wrong?   
  
They were just fighting some years ago then they were literally fighting just a few minutes ago. And now Ruruka was just staring in disbelief at Seiko’s corpse. And at the candy beside her corpse. The symbol of their friendship. Even in her last moments, Seiko had cherished their broken friendship and here was Ruruka who had been thinking about no one else but herself.   
  
Seiko truly was a hero.   
  
But Ruruka would never get to tell her that. Not anymore. All she could do was cry and mourn over all the missed opportunities they had, over all the things left unsaid between them, over all the regrets that just kept piling up. Ruruka cried and cried as if she believed that if she cried hard enough, Seiko would wake up and give her some medicine to soothe her.   
  
It never happens. No one was going to help her this time like always. Now she has to face the irrevocable truth of her situation. With one less person on her side.   
  
She lost a friend.   
  
In the end, Seiko never ate Ruruka’s candy. And she never will.


	18. Less Sugar but Sweeter

Seiko couldn’t eat Ruruka’s candies.   
  
She just couldn’t. It was physically impossible for her to do so.   
  
Sugar was too toxic for her body to handle that she’d die at the smallest intake of it. Even though Ruruka worked hard for her sweets and even though Seiko wanted to support her properly, it was just impossible for Seiko to eat Ruruka’s candies. So Seiko dejectedly resigned to the hopelessness of her situation.   
  
But Ruruka would have none of that.   
  
She was determined to have her friend eat her proudest creations. There had to be a way! There must be a loophole that even Seiko missed! All this time, Seiko had been helping her like a proper friend through her talent. This time Ruruka wanted to show off her talent to her friend. She wanted her to taste the greatness of her sweets because that’s the only way she knows how to show just how happy she was to have her as her friend.   
  
And so for the first time in their relationship, Ruruka decided to be independent for once.   
  
She chose not to rely on anyone else this time as she studiously did her research. She’s always been relying on Seiko for all her problems but this time she figured to do it the other way around. Seiko should also rely on Ruruka every now and then. But Ruruka understood that Seiko was too shy to ask for help. That’s why it was up to Ruruka to take the first step. That’s why she kept this a secret.   
  
And that’s why it was worth all the more the surprise.   
  
“Ta-dah!” Ruruka cheered as she finally unveiled her masterpiece.   
  
It was just a small piece of candy wrapped innocently with colored cellophane. It looked just like any other candy she had made before but unbeknownst to Seiko, this was different.   
  
This was special.   
  
“Congrats, you made another one.” Seiko praised her just like always.   
  
After all, that’s all she could offer. Talk not taste.   
  
“Yup! And this one’s for you!” Ruruka smiled brightly.   
  
“For me?” She immediately blanched in fear. “Oh, oh no no! I can’t eat that!”   
  
“Idiot! I know you can’t eat candies. Did you really think that I’d force you to eat one that you can’t?” Ruruka huffed and then stuck out her tongue at her. “Stuuupid!”   
  
“Then it’s a joke?” She asked in confusion.   
  
“It’s not a joke.” She shook her head. “This one’s for you.” She paused and then softly, as if almost shyly, she said, “This one… you can eat.”   
  
“Eat? But I can’t–”   
  
“You can!” Ruruka firmly countered. “You can eat it. I properly made sure that you can. You can definitely eat this one.”   
  
Seiko fearfully stared at the daunting piece of candy.   
  
She hesitated. “But…”   
  
“Don’t you trust me?” Ruruka’s voice shook.   
  
“Huh?”   
  
“You know I won’t do anything that would hurt you.” Ruruka sincerely said as she stared back at her with pleading eyes. “That’s why I want you to believe in me when I say that you can eat it.”   
  
“…” Seiko continued to stare at the candy as she weighed her options.   
  
She wasn’t turning it down but she wasn’t accepting it either.   
  
Ruruka was getting impatient at her friend’s hesitation. So she gave her one last push.   
  
“We’re friends aren’t we?” She asked with tears forming in the corners of her eyes. “Don’t you believe in me?”   
  
“I…” Seiko paused as she guiltily looked down and avoided her gaze.   
  
“I…” She took a deep breath.   
  
And in the next moment, she uncovered her mouth.   
  
“I believe in you.” Seiko boldly declared as she thrust the candy in her mouth.   
  
And there was a long intense pause right after.   
  
For the longest moment in her life, Ruruka believed that she may have screwed up something in the recipe. She worried that she may have done something wrong, something irreversible. Seiko was unresponsive and her mouth didn’t even move. It was an incredibly tense few seconds.   
  
Until finally, Seiko reacted.   
  
And it was worth all the wait.   
  
“W-WHAT IS THIS?” Seiko shouted at the top of her lungs as her eyes lit up in glee. “IS THIS REALLY CANDY? IS IT?? IT’S TOO GOOD!!”   
  
“Oh, thank god.” Ruruka let out a sigh of relief. “For a moment there you had me worried that I killed you.”   
  
“Kill me?” She repeated and then it finally sunk in. “Oh, yeah. How come I’m still okay?”   
  
Ruruka smiled cheekily at her. “That’s because that one’s sugarfree!”   
  
“Oh. Ohhhhhh.” Seiko said understandingly. “That explains a lot.”   
  
“Geez, it was really hard for me, you know.” Ruruka complained but it sounded more like she was bragging. “Making sweets without sugar was a challenge but it was nothing too difficult for my level.”   
  
Seiko stared at her dumbfoundedly. “You did this all… for me?”   
  
“Well for who else am I going to make this for?” She asked rhetorically. “You don’t see anyone else who has an insane allergic reaction to sugar, do you?”   
  
For someone who valued personal space so much, she didn’t care anymore about that in this moment. Seiko just suddenly hugged her tightly which surprised a blushing Ruruka.   
  
Seiko whispered gratefully as she tightened her hold on her, trying hard to convey what she couldn’t say in words into her actions instead. “Thank you, Ruruka.”   
  
“You’re welcome, Seiko.” She replied as she hugged her back and tenderly said, “After all, it’s the least I could do as your friend.”   
  
Seiko couldn’t eat Ruruka’s candies.   
  
Until Ruruka made them in a way that Seiko finally could.


	19. Get Wrecked

Nobody ever laid their hands on Makoto. Literally.

Before they could even land a hit, Mukuro was already there unleashing a counter at the fucker who even dared hurt him.

This time the unfortunate soul was Juzo. No matter how powerful the punches of the Ultimate Boxer was, it was useless if it never landed. As Juzo tried to sucker punch Makoto, Mukuro quickly intervened and redirected his fist so that it would punch the air which caused him to lose balance. With that opening, Mukuro hastily landed a couple of hits on him, all of which were on his pressure points, and within just one second, he was defeated just like that.

He had fallen down paralyzed but conscious enough to feel himself stripped of his dignity in just an instant. A number of people in the room had their weapons aimed at her but it was already a second too late. The damage had been done. Makoto was unscathed and so was Mukuro, meanwhile Juzo struggled with his limp body on the floor.

"The fuck did you just do, bitch?" He swore at her.

"Self-defense." She answered back stoically. "Nothing lethal."

"What the fuck? I didn't even do anything!" He yelled at her.

"You were about to punch him. Unnecessarily." She menacingly narrowed her eyes at him. "I wasn't just about to watch unprovoked violence."

"You bitch!" He shouted angrily.

"Asshole." She muttered silently.

Before things could escalate any further, a voice of reason cut through.

"Let's all just calm down first." Makoto intervened and then turned his attention to his unofficial bodyguard. He smiled gratefully at her. "Thank you, Mukuro. For looking out for me."

"No problem." She muttered as she looked away, slightly flushed.

"Please excuse our brashness." He bowed to the rest of the occupants in the room. "Now shall we discuss?"

But before they could even come to a final decision, they were unceremoniously tossed into a killing game.

Now not only was Makoto labeled a traitor, he was also hunted as one.

Unfortunately for his assailants, he had the best bodyguard with him. Before they could capture him, Mukuro threw one of the shards from the chandelier at a fire extinguisher, filling the room with its fumes. Amidst the chaos, she grabbed Makoto and slipped outside. She was about to run faster but noticed that he was lagging behind.

"What's wrong?" She asked him as she worriedly checked behind them for any pursuants.

"Ah, well. You see..." He then showed her his bracelet and his NG code.

Can't run in hallways.

Oh. Oh, so that's why. And then she looked at hers.

Can't piggyback a person.

"It can't be helped then." She said as she approached him.

And easily lifted him into a bridal carry.

"Eh? Ehhhh?" He yelled in shock.

"Hold on." She deadpanned as she sprinted forward.

"N-Not so fast!" He screamed as he huddled closer to her.

Nobody ever laid their hands on Makoto and Mukuro would be damned if anything happened to him on her watch.


	20. Bodyguard

Mukuro was determined to protect Makoto.

Ever since they escaped from the high school life of mutual killing, she hasn't left his side ever since. She swore upon her life that she wouldn't let any harm come to him if she could prevent it. That's why she tagged along when he was summoned by the Future Foundation.

Even though they were the organization that picked them up once they got out to the real world, that didn't mean she trusted them. They were wary at least and spartan at most. She only barely got away with her probation if it weren't for Makoto defending her, then they would have killed her on the spot. Granted of course that their reasons were justified for she was former Ultimate Despair and right hand to the mastermind that caused the world to fall apart. But the fact remained that they were merciless to the enemies of hope.

And to them, Makoto was no hero. He was a traitor.

They were branding him as a traitor for rescuing the Remnants of Despair. This was a crime of serious degree and they wanted justice. He on the other hand, just wanted to save them. He only did what he believed in, what he embodied of, he only tried to fill them with hope. And now he was going to get trialed for it.

But the punishment never happened. Instead, something worse occured.

Now they were stuck in another killing game.

They escaped the first one only to participate in this one.

Even worse, the odds were stacked up against them. Everyone else was convinced that Makoto was the traitor and two of them were even resorting to violent methods. And although Mukuro could easily defend themselves against them, she wouldn't. She couldn't. All she could do was run away. All she could do was run for him who couldn't run at all. It was frustrating as to how helpless she felt.

No matter how talented she was as a soldier, it was useless against her Forbidden Rule.

Cannot fight back.

Of all the damn rules she could have gotten, it just had to be this one. As a person who has known to be anything but a soldier, here she was stuck in a dangerous situation and unable to defend herself. Now what use was her talent? What else was she supposed to do? How else was she to protect him?

"Mukuro? You okay?" Makoto asked her worriedly.

She blinked back. "Yeah... I'm fine." And then she discreetly checked him for injuries for the nth time as she asked in concern, "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

He shook his head and smiled at her lopsidedly. "Nope, I'm totally safe. Thanks to you."

"That's good." She let out a sigh of relief but it only lasted for a moment. She then frowned slightly as she muttered, "Sorry..."

He asked her, confused, "Why are you apologizing?"

"Because I can't be of much help." She answered bitterly as her fists clenched in frustration. "This is all I can do. I can't fight back." She curled up into a ball as she said through gritted teeth, "I'm useless."

Because I can't protect you.

"You've got that wrong." Makoto firmly objected.

He was always the voice of reason, the voice of kindness, the voice of HOPE.

"You're not useless at all." He leaned torward her as he tried his hardest to convince her of her worth. "And you saved me earlier didn't you?"

Why do you believe in me so much?

She guiltily looked away. "I just carried you and ran away."

"And because you did that, we managed to avoid fighting altogether." He pointed out.

"We just got lucky with the escape this time." She muttered dejectedly. "Maybe next time we won't be. And I..." She paused as her nails dug deeper into her skin. Her voice sounded so small, so vulnerable, and just so scared. Not for her. She was scared for him.

She didn't know what she'd do if anything ever happened to him and the though that she couldn't do anything about it terrified her more than the risk of losing her life. Even if she supposedly broke her Forbidden Rule to save him, just who would protect him afterwards?

She hopelessly whispered, "I won't be able to fight back when next time happens."

How does one protect without fighting when all she knew was how to fight?

Makoto just smiled softly as he shook his head and wisely told her, "We don't need to fight back. We just need to work together."

Don't need to fight? Work together?

She snorted. "Good luck with getting everyone together."

"Ahaha, nice one, Mukuro." He chuckled weakly and then quickly sobered up. "But seriously, you should give yourself more credit. You're doing the best you can."

This was her best?

"It's not enough." She rebuffed. It's never enough. Not against them. Since she couldn't fight back then... "I can't protect you."

"You can. You've been protecting me all this time." He insisted. "Fighting isn't always the answer. You can protect me in other ways."

"Other ways?" She asked him curiously.

He nodded as he smiled tenderly at her. "Just stay by my side. That's more than enough for me. Stay by my side like always."

His hand found hers.

Mukuro stared at their joined hands and her gaze travelled upward until she saw his bright and grinning face filled with so much resolve, with so much trust, with so much hope. He was overflowing with all these that it was almost infectious. She stared back at her hand and at her bracelet with its NG code flashing mocked her, but that didn't matter.

Because all she was their hands holding on to each other.

She smiled softly. "Like always."

And then she laced her fingers with his.

Mukuro was determined to protect Makoto even if she couldn't fight back.


	21. Heterochromia

The sins of our past never leave us.

That’s what Hinata realized once he woke up. His mind was a mess but he had already expected that. He was messed up after all. Inside him wasn’t just the personality of Hinata but also the memories of Izuru. It was a bit surreal to comprehend but that was how it was.

When reminiscing Izuru’s memories, it was like he was watching someone else and yet at the same time, he understood that that someone else had once been him even if he didn’t connect with the memory.

Hinata was Izuru. And he still is.

There were some aspects that were repairable. It was easy to fix his long hair, he just got a haircut. And his build didn’t change all that much so that’s taken care of. But what he couldn’t change were his eyes.

One was golden and filled with hope, while the other was red and filled with despair.

It was disconcerting for everyone and especially for him. Even if he was mostly Hinata now, just one look at the mirror would remind him that he was still Izuru. He had killed so many people. He had done all those despicable things. He had plunged the world into despair.

But that was all in the past. A past filled with sins that he won't forget anytime soon. He doesn’t plan to. He wants to own up to his mistakes.

That’s why he looks forward to the future.

To a future that isn’t fucked up. To a future where he doesn’t fuck up. A blank space that’s just waiting to be written. And this time, Hinata swears it will be better. It has to be better.

And though he could never escape his tormented past, he’ll make up for it by creating a better future.


	22. This is Reality

When Naegi woke up, he wished he never woke up to this nightmare.

Beside him was red red red.

Beside him was Kirigiri.

Beside him was her dead dead dead.

This wasn’t like last time with Asahina. This wasn’t just a joke anymore. There was an actual knife stabbed in her chest with monokuma’s seal of approval. And there was blood this time. Blood not just ketchup. There was so much blood that it dripped and pooled around her feet. There was probably more blood coming out of her rather than supposedly inside her. There wasn’t enough blood inside her to keep her alive.

“KIRIGIRI! KIRIGIRI! KIRIGIRI!”

Naegi frantically yelled at her and desperately shook her body. As if he could bring her back if only he tried hard enough. But no matter how raw he called out for her, no matter how forceful he shook her, no matter how hard he tried, she wasn’t responding at all. 

Of course not, she was dead after all.

“This is your responsibility.”

Munakata’s voice cut through his haze.

“Makoto Naegi, if you truly hate despair, you should have taken your own life.” He then narrowed his eyes at him in a glare that was just as sharp as his sword. “But… you ran.”

He ran away?

“I didn’t run!” Naegi loudly protested. “I… I tried to bring hope to everyone!”

“Platitudes can’t save anyone.”

“They’re not platitudes!”

Munakata continued to taunt him. “Did you really think you could finish this anyone without fighting? Without anyone dying?”

“But why did Kirigiri have to–”

“This isn’t a game and there are no rules.” He menacingly goaded on. “Platitudes can change nothing!”

Naegi was about to retort something but Kirigiri made herself known.

She slightly fell loose off her chair and it’s only then that he notices that she has one of her eyes gouged out grotesquely while the other was open. Openly staring at him. Openly judging him. Openly blaming him.

“That is reality.” Her corpse mocked at him.

This is his reality. This is the world’s reality.

This is the reality where Naegi was useless and Kirigiri was dead.

Naegi wanted this to just be another nightmare but he never woke up.


	23. Previously on Ultra Fluff Girls

My name is Komaru Naegi but you already know that.

You already probably know that I’ve been living here at Towa City for a while now. Because you know, it’s actually not such a bad place once you look past all the littered corpses and rampaging murderous robots. I’m not really fond of that either but that’s just my opinion. On the other hand, the kids here love that and they look like they’re having fun. Plus, you could get most of the stuff here for free! Like I could walk into a grocery and do some shopping without even paying for it! That’s pretty neat, right?

Towa City is actually a nice place now that I think about it.

Oh, who am I kidding? It’s absolutely terrible here.

If you asked my past self then I would have hightailed it out of here as soon as I got my bracelet off. Not only is it dangerous here, every second I spend here is another memory added to my already stacked up resume of trauma. Even when I’m not fighting, I’m forced to see all this mayhem and death. I think I’ve seen enough to last me not just one lifetime but also for the rest of my reincarnations. I’m still just a high school girl you know.

I don’t want to be here and yet here I am.

I’m not like my past self anymore. I’m different now. I’ve grown from this horrible experience. Rather than hold me back, I’m using it the move forward. I’m facing forward. I won’t cower in fear at my own helplessness. I’m going to fight back. That’s right, I made the decision to not look away from this and instead to actually stand up.

And I’m not doing this alone.

“But Touko, if you don’t bathe, you’ll stink!” I pout as I say this. 

Seriously, she may be older than me but her hygienic habits or lack thereof are a bit sketchy so I end up looking after her in this aspect. Oh, well. It’s nice to be the senior for once even if it’s something as petty as bathing.

“I-I don’t care if I stink…” Touko stammers as she backed away.

Not like I’m going to let her get away that easily.

“Gotcha!” I cheer as I grab her and we both fall on the floor.

“HIIIIIIIIII!!!” She shrieks and struggles against me.

“Hey, stop moving!” I scold her. Why does she have to make this so difficult each time?

And then a ring interrupts our struggle.

“A-An incoming call!” Touko stutters in relief and then scampers away to take the call of her savior. “Master Byakuya!”

“Oh, Touko.” I let her go for now.

So that’s what’s been going on for us so far. And just now we received orders for work to do. It’s nothing new, it’s just another episode for us.

Well, duty calls!


	24. Different Perspective

Mukuro has been so used to looking after him that she never expected to one day look up to him.

Literally.

Makoto had always been a short guy… until he had his late growth spurt.

And boy, did he make up for lost time. If Mukuro was wearing heels then they’d be able to see each other on the same eye level. But heels were hardly practical to move in even if she could handle it flawlessly. She’d rather wear her combat boots so she did. Not only was this more comfortable for her, this also meant that she no longer had the extra inches to match his new height.

So she ended up looking up at him because he was now an inch or two taller.

“Hm? Is something the matter? You’ve been staring for a while now.” Makoto asked her, oblivious to her inner monologue.

Mukuro didn’t even realize that she was staring… again.

But she kept her face as expressionless as ever as she flatly answered, “It’s nothing.”

“Oh, okay then.” Makoto replied. By now he’s already used to her curt replies and unless he felt something off, he wouldn’t bother her by asking further.

The two continued to spend their time together in silence as Makoto did his paperwork and Mukuro did her work as his bodyguard. It was a comfortable silence, one where they’ve growned accustomed to each other’s company even without the need for conversation. But sometimes, they liked to have bits and pieces of dialogue here and there.

“You cut your hair.”

And rarely, it’s Mukuro who starts the conversation.

Makoto’s eyes widened in surprise. “You noticed? I’m surprised you even noticed it.” He chuckled lightly. “Everyone else has been commenting on my height but no one has said a word about my haircut. Not that I’m expecting anyone to comment on it or anything.”

Of course they’d focus on his height, it was a shocking development for everyone, Mukuro thought. Half of the class was still in disbelief and a select few thought he was wearing stilts or something. Point was that everyone made it a point to point out his height. So why did the usually quiet Mukuro point out his haircut instead?

The truth was that she hadn’t meant to. She just noticed it as she stared at him and studied his features. She checked if there were any other changes to him other than his vertical physique. That’s how she noticed that his hairstyle was slightly different than expected and she had unconsciously blurted it out. It wasn’t intention so she tried to maintain her composure over her slip. At least Makoto didn’t seem to mind. He looked like a spotlight was shining on him.

He chuckled lightly as he sheepishly scratched his chin, a habit he never outgrew. “I’m a bit happy that you noticed though.”

She felt a bit happy too knowing that she had made him happier even if it was just minimally happier.

Her eyes scanned over his head again and then in her usual blank tone she commented, “It looks nice.”

He flushed at the unexpected compliment. “T-Thanks.” He had a ridiculously wide grin on his face which only meant that he was ridiculously happy. And though he was a generally happy go lucky kind of person, these kind of moments were rare. He was honestly and extremely happy right now.

His happiness was naturally contagious. But before Mukuro could smile a small smile of her own, she froze. Makoto had reached out–

And brushed his fingers through her bangs.

“You grew out your hair, didn’t you?” He innocently pointed out as he brushed the bangs on the other side of her face.

“…” Her heart thumped wildly in her ribcage as she willed herself from escaping from this. Her mind was going haywire from the proximity and her fight or flight instinct was kicking in. She needed neither. She just had to reply to him first. So she timidly squeaked and forced the words out, “Ah… yeah, I did.”

He smiled wider at having his suspicions confirmed and then he earnestly told her with his brilliant smile, “I think it looks great. It suits you well!”

“…!”

And she got caught up in his dazzling brilliance yet again.

“Thank… you.” She muttered sincerely.

Mukuro was grateful that Makoto had grown taller. Now it was easier to hide her blush from him as she shyly looked down, her face flushed as ever.


	25. Heterochromia

The sins of our past never leave us.   
  
That’s what Hinata realized once he woke up. His mind was a mess but he had already expected that. He was messed up after all. Inside him wasn’t just the personality of Hinata but also the memories of Izuru. It was a bit surreal to comprehend but that was how it was.   
  
When reminiscing Izuru’s memories, it was like he was watching someone else and yet at the same time, he understood that that someone else had once been him even if he didn’t connect with the memory.   
  
Hinata was Izuru. And he still is.   
  
There were some aspects that were repairable. It was easy to fix his long hair, he just got a haircut. And his build didn’t change all that much so that’s taken care of. But what he couldn’t change were his eyes.   
  
One was golden and filled with hope, while the other was red and filled with despair.   
  
It was disconcerting for everyone and especially for him. Even if he was mostly Hinata now, just one look at the mirror would remind him that he was still Izuru. He had killed so many people. He had done all those despicable things. He had plunged the world into despair.   
  
But that was all in the past. A past filled with sins that he won't forget anytime soon. He doesn’t plan to. He wants to own up to his mistakes.   
  
That’s why he looks forward to the future.   
  
To a future that isn’t fucked up. To a future where he doesn’t fuck up. A blank space that’s just waiting to be written. And this time, Hinata swears it will be better. It has to be better.   
  
And though he could never escape his tormented past, he’ll make up for it by creating a better future.


	26. How to Save a Life

They couldn’t save everyone.

Today’s excursion was a failure as well. They didn’t surpress despair as much as their intended goal was. What’s worse was that there weren’t any lives rescued this time, only casualties on both sides. People were dying, dead, or wanted to die. It was the unbearable state of the world and everyone felt its dread.

Even more so for two kindred spirits.

“In the end, it’s always like this. I’m useless.” Ryota grimaced as his fists clenched in his own frustrations at himself.

“I couldn’t save anyone at all.” Seiko blankly said as she sunk lower in her seat, almost curling up on herself.

The two of them just wanted to save lives. But they couldn’t.

“I’m jealous of you. At least you have a useful talent.” Ryota commented as he glanced sideways at her.

Seiko just shook her head. “It’s not as useful as you think. Even if I do successfully bring them back from the brink of death, they just kill themselves right after.” She unconsciously hugged herself from recalling the memory. “I can heal the body but not the mind.”

Ryota looked at her with a mixture of admiration and also hurtness over the fact of how little she thought of herself. “But you’re so amazing, Seiko! Even though you know it’s useless, you still try and work your hardest.”

“But isn’t that what everyone at Future Foundation is doing?” She countered and then returned his gaze with her own as she asked him, “Isn’t that what YOU’RE doing?”

“Me?” He asked, taken aback and then promptly shook his head. “No, definitely not me. I’m just an animator. I’m not at all that useful.”

“But you’re still here.” She pointed out. “You’re even a branch head and it takes more than just talent to get that position.”

“It’s not all that special. I’m just giving out the orders that are passed down to me by the higher ups.” He felt himself growing more depressed as he said it out loud. “I’m hardly making an impact as is.”

“But you’re making an effory.” She stated matter-of-factly.

“I could say the same to you.” He smiled bitterly.

A wave of not only silence but also understanding passed between them.

“We’re both useless, huh.” Ryota let out a sigh but it didn’t feel as heavy this time.

“Yeah… we are.” Seiko agreed although she didn’t feel too bad about it for some reason.

They couldn’t save everyone but at least they could save each other.


	27. Talk Less

“M-master praised me.”   
  
“I know.”   
  
“Master said I w-was useful.”   
  
“I know.”   
  
“Master told me that I did a g-good job.”   
  
“I know.”   
  
“Master even p-proposed to me because he was so b-blown away by my b-beautiful display of s-skills.”   
  
“I-” Komaru paused and then frowned slightly in disapproval. “Okay, I’m pretty sure that the last one didn’t happen.”   
  
“Not yet. Ehehehe…” Touko giggled to herself as she began to fantasize yet again. “It’s only a m-matter of time… hehe.”   
  
Komaru sighed tiredly at Touko’s antics.   
  
Touko has been like this ever since they finished their calls. Today had been a rollercoaster of a day. They fought through swarms of monokuma, anti-climactically faced off with Monaka, almost got themselves flown to space, fell from the sky right after, and to top it all off, they finished the day by contacting their respective person.   
  
And while Komaru was worried over her brother and her brother’s friends, here was Touko who had seemingly forgotten about their situation and has been celebrating the fact that she received praise from Togami. Komaru’s used to it by now though. She knew and has long accepted Touko’s obsession for Togami.   
  
But was it necessary to talk about him for 3 hours straight?   
  
“And then Byakuya and I will… Aah!” Touko shrilled as she continued to fantasize.   
  
With all of today’s stress, Komaru couldn’t take any more and so she sighed and called out to her, “Touko.”   
  
It fell on deaf ears.   
  
“Touko.” She tried again only louder.   
  
Touko was still lost in her own delusional world.   
  
Komaru huffed at this. She will not stand idly by and be ignored. In a stroke of boldness, she grabbed Touko by the shoulders and pulled her in…   
  
For an embrace.   
  
“Eh?” Finally, this brought back Touko from whatever fantasy she was having. “W-What are you d-doing, Komaru?” She stammered nervously in shock.   
  
But Komaru didn’t answer. She didn’t let go either. Instead, she just hugged Touko tighter and nuzzled her head affectionately on Touko’s shoulder.   
  
“S-S-Seriously, w-what’s up w-with you!” Touko stuttered severely as she felt her cheeks warm up from the unexpected display of affection.   
  
After what seemed like forever of awkward contact on Touko’s part, Komaru finally pulled back. But only just a little. Her face was still alarming close, only a few inches separated their faces.   
  
And Komaru’s face was pouting when she huffed out, “I’m right here, you know.”   
  
“Huh?” Touko gasped in confusion.   
  
“You can talk about Togami all you want…” Komaru started and in the next moment, she was tenderly holding both sides of Touko’s face as she boldly declared, still pouting, “But I can’t promise you I won’t get jealous.”   
  
And then Komaru did something that both of them didn’t expect. She leaned forward and…   
  
Their noses bumped.   
  
An eskimo kiss.   
  
“I won’t lose you to anyone else.”   
  
Touko was left so speechless from this that she has never mentioned Togami’s name in Komaru’s presence ever since then.


	28. Hygiene Habits

“I’ve gathered everyone here today to discuss important matters of the most urgent degree.”   
  
Nagisa narrowed his eyes in all seriousness at those of what’s left of the Warriors of Hope.   
  
“And that is…” He took a deep breath and opened his mouth just to angrily spout, “Why is no one else taking baths?”   
  
The three guilty kids winced at his loud and stern voice.   
  
“I-I like the dirt… it calms me down to be c-c-covered in… what I am. Filthy t-trash…” Jataro stammered as he looked down.   
  
“Okay, so I understand that this is Jataro’s thing.” Nagisa sighed as he let go of that one but then turned his attention to another. “Masaru, explain yourself.”   
  
“What’s the point? We’re going to get dirty again anyways so we might as well stay dirty!” Masaru whined as he kicked the floor.   
  
“The point is so that you guys won’t reek and I don’t have to stay at least 3 feet away from you.” Nagisa annoyedly chided him and then shifted his scolding to the final member. “Well not like I expected much from you guys but Kotoko?”   
  
“Hey! We don’t have the suuuper bubbly shampoo that I like sooo much. You can’t expect me to wash with anything less for my flawlessly beautiful hair!” Kotoko huffed in defiance as she defended herself.   
  
“We can’t really afford to be choosy right now.” Nagisa sighed for the nth time while he shook his head in disappointment.   
  
As much as Nagisa hated to admit it, he had to be the mature one in the group. (No, he will not use the term “adult”. He’s still a kid. No matter how mature he was, he’s still a kid. He preferred to be called a kid.)   
  
“That’s it. No one will have snacks until EVERYONE takes a bath.” Nagisa ordered them with a tone of finality.   
  
“Ehhhhh?!” The trio collectively groaned.   
  
If they were going to stick together then Nagisa would rather do that when all Warriors of Hope were finally clean.


	29. NEET in Space

So Monaka left the earth and was floating idly in space.   
  
“Well this is boring as hell.”   
  
She didn’t know what she expected but she should’ve known better that there was absolutely nothing out here. She dropped by the moon and saw a monokuma shuttle there so there’s that. But aside from that, there wasn’t really anything exciting to see. Or to do.   
  
“No signal? But I’m right next to a satellite!” She whined and she was about to pull off a tantrum if only it wasn’t too tiresome to do so.   
  
She just can’t be bothered to put in any effort anymore so she lazily laid about.   
  
“This sucks.” She complained as she idly kicked her legs.   
  
In hindsight, maybe becoming a NEET in space wasn’t such a good idea. After all, she still had to go back down to earth once she ran out of food. And worst of all, there wasn’t even any signal up here. How do you expect her to live her life as a proper NEET without internet? She would have googled the answer to that but oh, wait. There’s no signal here.   
  
Just when Monaka had finally become an adult, she realized one of its inescapable truths.   
  
Adulting is hard.


	30. Monaka Becomes an Adult

“I will raise you to become the next Junko Enoshima.”

Those words were what truly saved her that day. Monaka had failed to inherit big sis Junko’s will to spread despair and she had resigned herself as a failure. It was such a shame on her part that she just wanted to die so she could at least reunite with her big sis.

But Monaka knew that if she met up with big sis in hell, she’d just look down on the disappointment that she was.

So she couldn’t die yet. She had to live on. She had to live on in big sis’ spirit. And for her to become like big sis, she needed someone to guide her, someone who knew big sis personally.

That’s where big bro Komaeda comes in.

“You will become a formidable despair.” He said.

“That way, an even greater hope will be born.” He also said.

See that’s the problem with big bro Komaeda. He couldn’t talk about despair without bringing up hope. If she took the effort to count, she wouldn’t doubt that he said hope more than he said despair. He’s always hope this and hope that. And it was just so annoying to listen to. It was getting tiresome  listening to his lectures on hope. She was actually relieved when he was captured by the Future Foundation.

She thought that with big bro Komaeda gone, she’d finally embrace despair for what it is. But he had ruined her. Whenever she thought about despair, she couldn’t help but see his annoying face and hear his annoying lecture.

“You will become the next greatest despair this world will ever see.” Komaeda lauded her and then smiled wildly as his eyes shone with a crazed glint. “Just for a while though. Hope will still always triumph in the end.”

And that’s the thing. Because of all those lectures he gave on hope, Monaka had become convinced as well. If hope will win in the end then what’s the point of all of this? She’s going to dedicate her life for this and for what? Just so she could lose in the end? This was too much effort.

As Komaeda preached on about hope, Monaka decided to nope.

Fuck this shit.

Monaka’s going to become a NEET instead.


	31. Scouting

Kizakura was a professional.   
  
Despite not having a talent of his own, he was skilled at finding talented people. He could filter the best from the rest with an information network better than any search engine. That’s why Hope’s Peak Academy had hired him as a scout. The students he scouted were phenomenal and he’d deliver nothing less than the best.   
  
This year would be no different from all his previous years. This year he’d deliver the cream of the crop again. This year he’d be professional just like always.   
  
Or at least he should have.   
  
Kyouko Kirigiri.   
  
He had his eyes on her ever since she was eligible to enter high school. Well that would be his official progress report on paper. Off the books however, he had been keeping tabs on her ever since… well, ever since.   
  
As a scout, he’s impressed at her records. She’d easily qualify as not just talented, but the best at her talent. As a family friend though, he saw more than just her talent.   
  
He saw an opportunity.   
  
This was an opportunity of a lifetime. This was a chance for a father and daughter reunion. And maybe, just maybe, this was the hope for a reconciliation.   
  
So when he adds her profile to this year’s recruits, he’s not sure either if it’s professional or personal.


	32. Close Calls and Closed Hands

Kizakura’s IF   
  
Time slowed down for Kirigiri the moement the floor caved in and tried to swallow her whole.   
  
She was falling.   
  
Falling to a bottomless pit. Falling to her death. Falling to despair.   
  
She was slowly and helplessly falling.   
  
She could do nothing but fall as she saw everything happen against her will. Her hand reached out upon reflex but she wasn’t fast enough. The floor was already out of her reach. No matter how much time slowed down for her, her body still wasn’t fast enough to save herself. Debris were falling past her and the ceiling was getting farther and farther. She didn’t know if this sinking feeling in her chest was just the general feeling of falling or if this was the feeling of giving up.   
  
Everything was happening at an excruciating slow pace as her thoughts raced. But because of this, she was able to comprehend what was happening. She saw it all happen in slow motion. Kizakura had dropped to the pit with his right hand on the edge of the floor. As for his left hand… he stretched his arms out as far as he could and then–   
  
A hand reached out and grabbed another’s.   
  
“What are you doing?!”   
  
Kirigiri’s right hand was firmly holding onto Kizakura’s closed left fist.   
  
“Saving your life!” Kirigiri shouted at him.   
  
Kizakura’s eyes widened in surprise. He  knew that if she hadn’t done that then he probably would’ve reached out for her hand instead. That meant opening his hand which also meant breaking his NG code. Ultimately, he would have died. And he was prepared to die. If he could save her then dying would have been worth it. When he saw her falling, he knew even without thinking that he would die for her. And for a promise he made with a dear friend.   
  
That’s why he’s all the more surprised that he didn’t die. Rather, he was actually saved by her if he thought about it. She was falling to her death and she was worried about his death. He didn’t expect her to be considerate at a time like this. She’s gotten softer, he contemplated. As much as he wanted to get sentimental over it, they still weren’t in the clear yet.   
  
“Idiot! I’m the one trying to save you!” He yelled back. “I can’t lift you up if I can’t hold onto you properly.”   
  
He was losing his grip on the edge and he felt his strength slipping away. There’s no other way. He had to save her. His left hand’s muscles twitched.   
  
“DON’T!” Kirigiri barked harshly as her hand gripped his tighter. It sounded like a mix of panic and urgency. It sounded like a combination of fear and concern. It sounded like she had made up her mind. “Don’t open your hand!”   
  
He really wanted to cry right now but tears won’t save anyone. And Kirigiri’s instruction will have them both killed. “Are you crazy? If I don’t then we’ll both fall here!”   
  
They both stared down at each other, and although both of them were afraid, one was more collected than the other.   
  
“We won’t.” She calmly stated. Her eyes never strayed away as she told him like she was stating a fact. “You can pull us up with your current strength.”   
  
“What? How can you be so sure!” He replied in disbelief, panic was settling in faster than he was losing grip.   
  
“I’m not.” She admitted but there was a shine in her eyes. A silver lining. A glint of hope. “But I can believe in you.”   
  
Her? Believe in him?   
  
“Heh.” He snorted. She was just full of surprises lately. If only Jin could see her now, he would have been proud at how fine Kyouko grew up to be.   
  
Well if she believes in him so much then who was he to let her down?   
  
“Kids these days are all talk.” He said lightly and then gathered all of his strength and then some. He pulled hard. “HAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!”   
  
And through adrenaline and a miracle, he had pulled both of them up onto safety.   
  
“I told you so.” Kirigiri smirked at him and then raised her left hand as she softly said, “And… thank you.”   
  
Kizakura smiled back even as he panted and he happily shook her hand with his right hand. “Just doing my job as the responsible adult in the room.”   
  
And all throughout he had kept his left hand closed while he and Kyouko grew just a little bit closer.


	33. Clenched Fists and Closed Hearts

Kirigiri moves forward.   
  
“Why did Kizakura save you? Giving his life for yours like that…”   
  
Why indeed. As far as Kirigiri was aware of, their relationship was supposed to be nothing more than coworkers. They had hardly interacted much before and the most conversation they had all happened today. And judging by his character, he didn’t seem like the martyr type. He wouldn’t sacrifice his life just for any stranger. She doubted he’d give up his life for a mere coworker.   
  
Throughout the time he had accompanied her, he was putting in an effort not to get separated from her. His late actions just proved that he had no malicious motives. Following that assumption, he may have only accompanied her for the sole purpose of looking out for her. But for what reason?   
  
“A buddy of mine hates detectives.”   
  
How unfair. Even until now, those memories she’s lost still haunt her. Was his actions born from a connection with her father? Or was it by his own volition as a coworker and as a former teacher? Or perhaps was it a mixture of both? How truly unfair to keep her in the dark all this time. If perhaps he did share some connection with her then…   
  
Kizakura had sacrificed himself to save her because–   
  
“I have a few ideas but not enough facts to figure out the answer.” She calmly replies.   
  
She’s not nearly as close to the truth as she wants to be. She doesn’t have the answer yet. All she has now are assumptions and another dead body on her toll, just another piece of evidence to add to her investigation.   
  
“That’s really cold.” Ryota comments.   
  
Kirigiri continues to move forward.   
  
“I guess so.” She says stoically.   
  
Kirigiri just moves forward still.   
  
“You know, I think I read that murders only happen because there’s a detective. The detective’s very existence is what causes murders.”   
  
Kizakura’s face flashes in her mind and even in his final moments, he was smiling. A combination of relief and pride was mixed in with the impending death on his face. It was as if he had achieved something worth so much more than his death. For someone who was about to die, he looked so happy and alive. He was happy that she was still alive even if it meant his death.   
  
“I think you’d do better to stop thinking so logically, and express your feelings more.”   
  
Kirigiri stops and lets go.   
  
She lets go of her cumbersome coat. She lets go of her lingering regrets. She lets go of her emotional attachments. She lets go of everything unnecessary to her work.   
  
All that’s left of her is pure logic and nothing else. She has neither the time nor the reason to mourn.   
  
“That’s because I’m a detective.” She declares, still facing forward.   
  
Kirigiri moves forward and never looks back.


	34. Uncle Kizakura

Kizakura doesn’t know what it’s like to be a parent but he likes to think that maybe he has something close.   
  
“Uncle Koi!” The cheerful yell of a little girl calls to his attention.   
  
When he turns around, there right standing right in front of him is Little Kyouko who’s grinning at him in an irresistible way that makes his own smile genuine.   
  
“Yes, what can I do for the young lady?” He tips his hat towards her in a way that makes her giggle in amusement. He even bows regally for added effect much to her delight.   
  
“Guess what I found out?” She tiptoes and bounces in her barely contained excitement.   
  
“Hmm… what could it be? I wonder.” He pretends to be in deep thought as he closes his eyes and hums. He then playfully opens one eye and guesses, “Did you find a flower crown?”   
  
“You don’t find flower crowns, you make them, silly!” She readily corrects him.   
  
“Ah, you’re right! How foolish of me!” He comically slaps his forehead at his own stupidity.   
  
“You mean how illogical of you.” She corrects him again.   
  
This time he raises his hands in defeat as he dramatically exclaims, “Oh, no! You used my weakness against me! Big words!”   
  
“Ahaha! That’s just so silly!” Kyouko’s giggles easily spill from her mouth.   
  
“Made you laugh.” Kizakura winks at her and then he crouches down to her level. “So? What did you find, young lady?”   
  
“Find out.” She corrects him for the third time now as she playfully sticks her tongue at him. She then puffs out her chest in pride as she loudly declares, “I solved another mystery!”   
  
“Ohho! Is that so?” He smiles wider. “Look at you go. I take my eyes off you for one second and then you went off and became a little detective!”   
  
“Aren’t I the best?” Her grin is bright even in broad daylight.   
  
“Definitely the best. The best in Japan, no, in the WHOLE WORLD!” He proclaims with just as much pride if not more.   
  
“Hee hee.” She giggles and then begins to pull on his hand. “Hey, Uncle Koi. Watch me solve this! Watch meee!”   
  
“You don’t need to tell me twice.” He then affectionately ruffles the top of her head. “Uncle Koi will always be watching over you, Little Kyouko.”   
  
Kizakura doesn’t know what it’s like to be a parent but he likes to think that maybe he has something close.


	35. Uncanny Uncle

Kirigiri has cut her ties with her father but how does that affect her ties with her “uncle”?   
  
“Kirigiri~” Kizakura sings as he enters her classroom.   
  
“Get out.” Is her automatic response.   
  
“Cold as ice like always.” He winces as he continues to stroll inside without care over the odd glances he receives from her classmates. “What? No welcome hug for your favorite uncle?”   
  
“You’re my ONLY uncle.” She clarifies for him and then steelly narrows her eyes at him. “But that’s besides the point. Don’t you have your own class to attend to?”   
  
“You know, I’m still waiting for my hug.” He dodges her question by teasing her further. “Little Kyouko used to give them to me all the time. You’d yell, “Uncle Koi!” and then tackle me into a hug.“   
  
By now, the whole class is barely containing their laughter.   
  
"Yes, well thank you for unnecessarily sharing that private piece of information with the rest of the class.” She calmly flips her hair but her eyes are staring daggers at him. “And just so you know. "Little Kyouko” is no longer marginally small in case you didn’t notice.“   
  
"Of course! How could I miss that?” He comically slaps his forehead and then reaches out to pat her head like a child.   
  
Only to have his hand brushed aside by her. “Going back. If you’re not here on official business then I request you to leave since you’re disrupting class.”   
  
“So quick to get rid of me. That makes me a bit sad.” He comments with a slight frown although his tone is light. “Well I have good news for you. I actually happen to be on official business here. I’m your substitute teacher for today.”   
  
“…” She doesn’t reply.   
  
“Hm? Are you so happy that you’re speechless?” He leans forward and tips his hat.   
  
“…” She remains silent for a few more seconds until she finally speaks, “No, I was just thinking of how that could possibly classify as good news.”   
  
“Ouch. Gotta get me some aloe for that burn.” He shakes his head in mirth. “Anyways, you’re still stuck with me for today so you can’t get rid of me that easily.”   
  
“Like I have a choice.” She sighs tiredly.   
  
Kirigiri has cut her ties with her father but she has yet to do the same with her “uncle”.


	36. Aoi Asahina Finds Out About Yuta

Asahina has never known what its like to be an only child until one day she becomes one.   
  
“It’s… okay.” Someone said and Asahina would have been surprised by the fact that that someone was her if only she wasn’t too preoccupied by the sinking feeling swallowing her whole.   
  
“It’s okay.” Her lips move and it’s her voice but the words and her feelings don’t quite connect.   
  
“It’s okay.” Her voice is now just above a whisper and everything else seems so far away. Oh, how she wishes she could be as far away from here as possible.   
  
“It’s…” She trails off.   
  
The slightest weight of hands are on her shoulders and she almost doesn’t notice them because of the gentleness of the touch. But she does. She resgisters the feeling and now she’s back. She looks back. Two of her best friends offer her sympathetic and understanding looks.   
  
And that’s when her words and feelings finally connect.   
  
“It’s… not okay.” She chokes and in the next moment she’s sobbing.   
  
Why? Why? WHY??? Why Yuta? Wasn’t it enough that she already lost Sakura and now she lost Yuta as well? And the way he died was just… so cruel. He was only trying to get help, he was only trying to do what he thought was right, he was only trying to do his best–   
  
He was only so young.   
  
And what about her? The failure of an older sister. She couldn’t save him. She didn’t protect him. While he was out there trying his hardest and risking his life for others, what was she doing? She did nothing. What kind of older sister was she? Yuta deserved so much better. But just like what happened in Towa City, there was nothing she could do this time as well.   
  
So she cried.   
  
She cried for minutes, for hours, for days. She doesn’t know how long she  was like that since she didn’t bother keeping track of the time when she was too busy wallowing in her sobs. She doesn’t remember much of what happened during the mourning period like if she even went to work or did anything at all aside from crying. She does however, remember the people.   
  
She remembers her friends who supported her all throughout.   
  
Naegi kept her company whenever he could and his presence reassured her. Kirigiri offered her a shoulder to cry on and the soothing pats on the back she received calmed her. Fukawa called in every now and then to check up on her and she’s touched by the sentiment. Even Togami, in his own obnoxious and awkward way, tried to give her support and she appreciated it. Hagakure tried to get her to smile with his usual banter and sometimes it worked.   
  
It’s all these little things which her friends did to make her life just a bit more bearable that got her through this loss.   
  
She doesn’t know exactly when it happened but at some point, she started smiling again. She was now the one who pestered Naegi to hang out with her. She would casually pull Kirigiri in for hugs just because. She’d call Fukawa more than enough to have her block some of her calls. She even shared her donuts with Togami despite him turning her down each time. She’d beat Hagakure’s humor with a joke of her own.   
  
It’s okay. It’s okay. It’s okay.   
  
And this time, these words and her feelings actually connect.   
  
Asahina may have lost her brother but she’s still grateful that she hasn’t lost everyone yet./


	37. Hagakure Predicts a Happy Future (Foundation)

Hagakure’s predictions have a 30% accuracy and thankfully this was one of those predictions that fall inside the 30%.

There was no killing game. All those deaths and drama? It was all just an elaborate setup to prank Naegi and everyone was in on it. Everyone was very much alive and everything was absolutely okay.

“You guys sure got me good.” Naegi laughed heartily.

“We sure did. Hahaha! No hard feelings?” Gozu patted him on the back.

“None taken. I’m just glad that everyone’s okay.” Naegi flashed him a relieved smile.

“Hey, man. I know it was just acting but I’m sorry for punching you and threatening you and stuff.” Juzo awkwardly apologized.

“It’s alright. You meant well anyways.” Naegi’s forgiveness came easily with him.

“Finally! I was off-screen for so long. I was getting impatient you know!” Chisa huffed.

“Well you did “die” early.“ Naegi’s so relieved that he could joke about it now. "It must have been tough waiting it all out.”

“Naegi, please accept my most sincere apologies for my behavior. I was rough on you.” Munakata bowed deeply.

“No need to apologize.” Naegi said understandingly. “You actually surprised me. You’re an amazing actor. I couldn’t tell at all that you were just acting.”

“Hey, hey! How about me? Wasn’t I the best actress?” Ruruka hounded him.

“You were pretty convincing yourself.” He nodded.

“Thanks for following the script.” Izayoi gave him a thumbs up.

“There was a script for me?” Naegi asked in confusion. “Wait who wrote it in the first place?”

“That would be… me.” Ryota confessed timidly.

“Oh, wow. Then let me just say how amazingly written it is!” He openly praised him.

To which, Ryota just flushed in embarrassment. “T-Thank you. It’s an honor.”

(By the way, Hagakure wasn’t in on the prank because they didn’t want to risk him giving it away.  
“Hey, I too can keep a secret!”  
No, no he actually can’t.)

“You were great at playing along! You were a natural at it!” Gekkogahara praised through Usami.

“Well to be fair, everything was natural on my part.” Naegi joked back.

“Y-You… didn’t get hurt, did you?” Seiko asked in concern.

“Nope but thanks for worrying!” Naegi reassured her.

“It was really fun to have makeup done, tee hee.” Bandai laughed heartily.

“Those special effects were really something else.” Naegi commented. Honestly, they were on a whole new level. He genuinely believed that everything was real. “Too realistic if you ask me.”

“Haha! You should’ve seen the look on your face, kid.” Kizakura teased him.

“Please don’t remind me. It’s embarrassing…” Naegi was flustered.

“Now, now. Don’t tease the young man too much. Save some for when we watch the whole thing later.” Tengan joked.

“We’re going to watch it?!” Naegi’s jaw dropped in shock.

“Naturally. Why else would we have it on video?” Asahina smiled impishly.

“I had my suspicions but I just wished I was wrong.” He sighed in defeat.

“Don’t worry about it too much. You were a splendid actor.” Kirigiri smirked at him with mirth.

Naegi laughed weakly. “I’d feel better about it if I was actually acting.”

Hagakure’s predictions have a 30% accuracy and thankfully this was one of those predictions that fall inside the 30%.

And THEY LIVED happily ever after… in this fanfic.


	38. Hands Off

Kirigiri’s time was almost up.

In less than an hour, she’ll fall asleep and won’t ever wake up after. Such was her fate when she was given such an unfair NG code. How petty and cruel of the mastermind to target Naegi personally like this. And how moronic of them to think that this was enough to fill him with despair. Even if she didn’t survive this, he will and along him with him, hope will live on. She’ll stay by his side even in death.

However, maybe she didn’t have to die.

She thought hopefully as she stared at the blade in her hand, her right hand specifically. She’s thought about this before and carefully considered this in every angle. She planned on severing her hand along with her bracelet off. She’s technically not breaking any rules with this although she’ll most likely die from bleeding.

That’s where this blade comes in.

This was blade was no ordinary blade. This was special. It was built not only to cut but to cut with such intense heat. Its temperature was so hot that it could easily slice and melt metal– and also cauterize wounds.

In short, she had found a loophole.

She calmly stared at her left hand as a whirlpool of emotions swirled inside of her. She had only made it this far because someone had reached out for this hand and saved her. Her hand clenched into a fist at the memory. Her fingers dug deep onto her palm as if this was her way of memorizing this physical feeling she was about to give up on.

She’ll miss having a left hand but if she gets to live without it then it was just a small price to pay.

With her decision made and her resolve absolute, she braced herself for the act. Her teeth clenched a handkerchief to muffle her screams and beside her were improvised first aid tools. With her right hand, she pressed a button on the blade’s handle and activated the searing function on it.

And in one fell swoop, she had cut off her bracelet along with her hand.

She had cheated her way out of her NG code and secured herself more time if only just a little bit more.


	39. Don't Wake Me Up

Kirigiri did not expect to wake up.

She thought that maybe this was just a dream but the dead certainly don’t dream. The dead weren’t even supposed to feel anything at all. But the dull feeling of pain surging throughout her whole left side told her something important. She wasn’t dead.

She was alive.

And upon closer inspection, she was alone.

Further investigation of the room and of her bracelet gave her the suspicion that she may have been clinically dead for the whole time and thus, was abandoned by her comrades thinking she was a corpse. Well that was understandable after all, she didn’t have a pulse back then and there was no way for them to know that there was a possibility for her to revive.

Perhaps she should have told them about the medicine she took beforehand although she didn’t want them to worry over her. Nevertheless, it seemed that none of them was the attacker’s victim this time or else there’d be another corpse in the room. She let out a sigh of relief at this fact. But she couldn’t rest easy just yet.

She still had to regroup with her comrades.

But she never did find them. At least, not alive.

When she went to check on a room, the last thing she expected, no… the last thing she wanted to see was a corpse. HIS corpse.

No no no no no no no no NO!

She quickly rushed forward to investigate the corpse that was uncannily similar to his body. This has to be a mistake. She refused to believe this. But no matter how many times she checked and rechecked, it only confirmed her suspicions. This was without a doubt, the corpse of Naegi. And this was the trigger for Kirigiri to slowly fall again.

But instead of falling to her death like last time, she was falling to despair this time.

She didn’t live just for him to die like this.


	40. You Are My Reason To Die

Kirigiri had filled Naegi with hope.

But also with a sinking dread of horrible premonition.

He was honestly moved by her words and he felt better about himself. He wasn’t useless. He wasn’t alone. He wasn’t in despair. And yet, for some reason he couldn’t place why but something about this didn’t sit right for him. He believed Kirigiri was telling the truth but he couldn’t help but be suspicious that she was also hiding something from them. Something important.

And so, through some luck and willpower, he managed to stay somewhat conscious for a few more precious seconds than the rest.

Dragging his sedated body, he crawled over to where Kirigiri was. Only now did he understand what was bothering him all along. She hadn’t told them her NG code. If this was during the first mutual killing game then it’s only natural for her to be so secretive. But this wasn’t the first time. They weren’t strangers anymore. They were all friends who trusted each other.

So why didn’t she tell them her NG code?

He knew that looking at her bracelet without her permission was unfair. He knew that this was a bit selfish on his part. He knew that he should be a better friend and trust her on this. But he also knew that he felt like he’d regret it if he didn’t check it now. It had to be now. He didn’t know exactly why but he felt like if it was any later then it would have been too late.

And so, Naegi did something he thought he would never do. He betrayed his friend’s trust. And with that betrayal, he finally saw Kirigiri’s NG code.

“Passing the 4th time limit with Makoto Naegi alive”

…What the hell? What kind of unfair NG code was this?

Kirigiri was going to die and it will be his fault.

Naegi’s mind raced. He recalled all the subtle cues that she had been dropping all this time and how dense he was to have missed them.

Kirigiri was going to die and it will be his fault.

But why? Why her? And why such a cruel NG code? There was no way she could live through this. Dammit! If they wanted to target him so badly then why did thay have to involve his friends? Why??

Kirigiri was going to die and it will be his fault.

He felt his body succumbing to the sedative. No! Not just yet! He still had to do something! If he didn’t do anything now then she’d die before she could even wake up! THINK! His pulse raised even more so emphasizing that he was very much alive and that his life will cause her hers.

KIRIGIRI WAS GOING TO DIE AND IT WILL BE HIS FAULT.

…No.

Kirigiri wasn’t going to die and Naegi will make sure of it.

And so time passed. Four people fell unconscious in the room. Only three woke up.

Among them was Kirigiri who woke up right next to Naegi’s corpse which was smiling peacefully.


	41. Family Get-Together

Kirigiri doesn’t remember where she was before this.

Everything is just stark white when she opened her eyes. She is disoriented but for some strange reason, she feels calm despite this. She feels as though there is nothing here that could hurt her and there is nothing else for her to fear. Wherever this is. There is this nagging feeling in her head that told her that she was somewhere else before this.

But even so, she couldn’t help but also feel as if she belongs here.

That’s when someone taps her on her shoulder. “Yo, Kyouko.”

She turns around and finds Kizakura smiling at her.

“I didn’t think you’d miss me so much that you’d come after me so soon.” He jokes although his smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. “I’m touched. Honestly, I am but you didn’t have to rush you know.”

She regards him cautiously, gauging the situation. “You…”

“What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” He says this with a smug smile.

“Aren’t you one though?” She asks him skeptically.

“Nope.” He tips his hat. “I’d like to think of myself as more of a spirit.”

Her gaze falls down as she admits, “And so am I.”

A moment of silence passes between them.

“…Sorry, kid.” Kizakura sighs tiredly. “Believe me I wish it wasn’t true.”

She shakes her head and calmly tells him, “No, don’t apologize. I was prepared for this.”

“Wow, gotta hand it to you. You’re still tough even in the afterlife.” He comments with a chuckle. “Well, now that we’ve had our little chat, why don’t you go say hello to the rest of the family?”

“The rest of…?” She asks but before she could finish her question, that’s when she sees them.

Across her are two other important persons in her life.

“Welcome home, Kyouko.” Her parents warmly greets her.

She walks at first. Her pace is slow and steady. But she isn’t getting to them as soon as she would’ve wanted. So she brisk walks. They’re still too far even though they’re so near. She breaks into a run towards them. Until finally,

Finally she reaches them. And her parents readily catch her in a loving embrace.

“I’m home.” She greets back with a smile and her eyes sparkle with tears of joy.

And Kirigiri finally has her family whole again.


	42. Passing the Fourth Time Limit

Four people fell unconscious and only three of them woke up.

Kirigiri was the exception. She was doomed to never wake up after the fourth time limit passed. She knew this for a fact ever since she had first checked her NG code. There was just no way for her to circumvent her forbidden rule nor did she want to even try. That’s why she had long accepted that no matter what, her forbidden rule would be triggered. It was also part of her hopes to have it triggered in the first place because that would mean Naegi’s survival.

It was precisely because she had calmly accepted her situation that she was able to think through it. She took precautionary measures in the event that she did pass away. She investigated and wrote everything down in a notebook that might assist the rest of the survivors.

And she also took a gamble in trying to bypass the code. Cure W.

There’s no guarantee that she’d survive with this medicine, she’s not even completely sure of what its side-effects were, but it was a risk she was willing to take. After all, she had nothing to lose and she only had her life to regain.

So she held onto this hope.

Sobs filled her senses as she slowly regained consciousness. Her body felt heavy and at the same time it felt like nothing at all. To be specific, she had lost all feeling from her whole left side. She tried to open her eyes but only her right eye complied. It seemed that the medicine had saved her. However, it was only half of her.

But half was still better than none at all.

“Kirigiri!” Cried Naegi’s blurry face.

“Kyouko!” Shouted Asahina from out of her vision.

And it’s only when two of her most precious friends embrace her that she could confirm without a doubt that she survived. She was still with them. She was alive. Despite losing all feeling from her left side, it didn’t diminish the feeling of relief that washed over her. She felt very much alive in this moment and not even the aftereffects of the poison could take that away from her.

For the fourth time limit, four people fell unconscious in a room and exactly four people woke up.


	43. Goodnight and Goodbyes

“I’d like to speak with Naegi in private.” Kirigiri declared all of a sudden as soon as they had securely barricaded themselves in.

“Eh? Me?” Naegi asked, completely caught off guard.

“Huh, why just him? That sounds sus-” Ryota’s sentence was muffled by his groan when he got abruptly elbowed halfway through his sentence.

“Sure thing, Kyouko. We’ll stay waaay over there so make sure you catch up with him all you want.” Asahina winked at her.

“Thank you.” Kirigiri nodded at her gratefully and then turned to a still confused Naegi. “We don’t have much time. Let’s go.”

“R-Right.” Naegi stuttered as he went along with her to one corner of the room.

He’s not sure what’s going on but he trusts her so he willingly let himself get swept up by her pace again. Not that he was complaining. Actually, this just brought up memories of back when they were trapped in that school life of mutual killing. She’d do whatever she wanted or needed to do and he’d do his best to be of help. Even though she doesn’t show it, she genuinely cares for others. And he too, genuinely cared for her.

In truth, he was immensely grateful to be reunited with her. He felt more reassured with her around. She always had his back and her speech back then had truly brought his hopes up. Now he realized just how truly he had missed her. They’ve only been separated for hours but he couldn’t help but feel it was longer. It felt longer because he was constantly living in fear for her life while he couldn’t see her. Now he didn’t have to worry anymore wondering if she was alive at the moment.

Right now, in this moment, she was still alive.

“Sit.” She ordered as she sat down herself.

“Okay.” He nodded and sat down with a polite distance between them.

She chuckled lightly. “You don’t need to be so considerate. It’s just us two.”

He blushed at this. “Y-You’re right.” He stammered as he scooted a bit closer to her and she closed whatever space left in between them, their shoulders bumped as their bodies relaxed at the contact.

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” She casually started at the same time she smoothly grabbed his hand, her hand was bare.

He naturally returned her grip with a firm squeeze. He let out long tired sigh. “Yeah, no kidding. It feels like it’s been forever since we last got to see each together.”

“Not forever. Just almost three hours.” She pointed out rather stoically and in an almost emotionless voice she murmured, “Although in terms of time limit…”

He leaned towards her with his eyebrows furrowed in concern. “Is something the matter?” He gave her hand another reassuring squeeze.

She shook her head and returned his grip. “No, just thinking to myself.” She smiled softly at him to reassure him that she was okay.

Which seemed to work fortunately. “That’s just like you.” He remarked with his own smile gracing his lips. “Well if you ever need someone to share your thoughts with, you know that I’m always here.” He chuckled lightly. “I may not be of much help but I can try.”

She laughed with him at his attempt to lighten the mood. Even in this situation, he was always so considerate. He honestly was too good for this world. “Thank you. That’s more than I could ever ask from you.”

This would have been a sweet moment if only it weren’t so bittersweet.

“But don’t go thinking just about yourself.” She reprimanded him.

“Huh? What do you mean?” He asked, puzzled.

“It’s good to help others but you should also remember that others are here to help you.” She sounded like she was scolding him but the softness in her eyes told him otherwise.

Naegi opened his mouth to say something but Kirigiri beat him to it as her mouth descended upon his.

And when she pulled back, she gave him her most beautiful smile. “I’ll always be here for you as well.”

He was still a bit disoriented from the kiss so he just said the first thing in his mind. “You’re right. I really am lucky to have such amazing people in my life.”

I’m lucky to have you. He left unspoken.

The telltale sound of their bracelets rang. Their time was up.

“Goodnight, Naegi.” She said as her head fell onto his shoulder.

“Goodnight, Kirigiri.” He replied as he intertwined their fingers.

With their hands laced together and their hearts connected, they serenely gave into slumber. Even as the sedative kicked in, the drug did little to dilute the feelings that filled both of them at the time. Feelings of security, feelings for each other, and feelings of hope.

The hope that they would make it through this together. Just like last time. Just like how they were supposed to.

“…And see you when we wake up.”

Only one of them ever did wake up.


	44. Anything But Professional

They were friends and they were coworkers but sometimes they have these moments where it seems like they were more than that.

“And done!” Naegi breathed in relief as he soon as he finished typing.

Working at Future Foundation unexpectedly involved a lot of clerical work. With the world in chaos they needed a solid database, they needed to rebuilded one from whatever scraps were left. So unless he got a field assignment, he was stuck at his desk typing on his laptop. Apparently even after the “end of the world” work was pretty much the same. He actually appreciated this sense of normalcy.

He stretched as he checked the clock. 11:00PM he didn’t even notice that he went overtime again. If it had been anyone else, they would have gone straight home right after work but not him. Instead he got up and went to make some coffee. Two cups of coffee as usual. Because as much of a hardworker that he was, there was also someone else who was working even harder.

“Do you even plan to go home at all this time?” Naegi asked as he placed the other cup of steaming coffee on her desk.

Kirigiri nodded at him as thanks for the coffee and then casually took a sip as she continued scrolling through her files. “If by home then you must mean my sleeping quarters. It’s practically in the same building so it won’t make any difference if I ended up staying here.”

“Yeah but it’s not the same. It’s called sleeping quarters for a reason. You’re supposed to sleep there, not here.” He sighed tiredly. Sometimes he couldn’t believe that he was trying to reason with the most logical person in the organization and she was the one being unreasonable. “Are you even planning to sleep this time?”

“I’ll think about it.” She stoically replied.

“Kirigiri, this is seriously unhealthy.”

“Naegi, you’re seriously interrupting me at work.”

He sighed yet again. “Look, I get that you can be a workaholic at times but you should also consider taking a break every now and then.”

“I don’t think you fully grasp the meaning of workaholic.” She deadpanned as she just continued working.

Naegi was at a standstill yet again. This always happened whenever he tried to fetch Kirigiri. He just couldn’t pull her away from her work unless she said so herself. But even so, he couldn’t just leave her be or else she’d end up pulling all-nighters unsupervised. It’s ironic when he thought about it. He was the one supervising the supervisor well, at least for this matter.

And so, just as per standard procedure, he pulled a chair and dragged it right next to hers. He claimed his place as he sat right next to her, their shoulder only slightly touching, a polite distance. He then wrapped themselves with a blanket he picked up from his room on his way here. If he was going to wait for her then he might as well make this comfortable for both of them.

“Well I’m not going home until you do.” He declared as he huffed his cheeks at her, trying to mask the redness in his face by it. “So I’ll just keep you company for a while.”

“Suit yourself.” She on the other hand, looked unaffected by it. She’s probably used to it by now considering how often this seems to happen. “Fair warning though, I make for boring company.”

“That’s because all you do is work.” He whined as he relaxed further into his seat.

“We’re at a workplace. What else do you expect me to do?” She smartly replied and his groan sounded more satisfying coming from right beside her.

They stay together like this in comfortable silence for a while until Naegi, as usual, felt himself succumbing to drowsiness.

He yawned as he let his body slump. His head drooped until he felt a hand redirecting his head so that it would lean on her shoulders instead. He sighed happily and his voice was barely above a whisper as he muttered, “Sometimes I wonder if you’re just doing this on purpose.”

She knew that he couldn’t see her face and so she smiled fondly. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

And just like any other night, they ended up staying together.

They’ve definitely gone past the point of coworkers, they just don’t know how far they’ve come yet.


	45. Just According to Keikaku

At first it seemed like a one time thing, just a slip of the tongue.

But then Munakata started saying it all the time.

“How was your day, Kyosuke?” Chisa asked him.

Munakata chuckled and said, “Just according to keikaku.”

“Hey, I got into the security department!” Juzo reported to him.

Munakata smirked and said,  “Just according to keikaku.”

Sometimes he even said it without being prompted.

“The construction of the overseas branch is going well.” He proudly said to himself and then added,  “Just according to keikaku.” 

Worse, he started saying it over non-important things.

“The coffee at the meeting tasted excellent.”  He smiled appreciatively as he took another sip from his cup and muttered, “Just according to keikaku.”

It got so bad that it became his punchline for literally anything.

“The weather is nice.” He breathed and of course he said after,  “Just according to keikaku.” 

It was becoming ~~annoying~~ a problem especially since he was steadily losing reputation over this. Anyone who has spent 5 minutes with him try not to spend any more because he said the line more than do actual conversation. And why does it have to be keikaku? Why can’t he say plan like a normal human does? It was frustrating everyone and at this rate, he was losing credibility.

So naturally, it was up to his two best friends to fix him.

“Kyosuke, we need to talk.” Chisa started gently.

“Yeah, man. We kinda got a problem.” Juzo seconded.

“Hm? What is it?” Munakata replied obliviously.

“You know how lately you’ve been saying this one line?” Chisa continued.

“What line?”

“You know. The one you always say when things go your way.” She prompted.

Munakata smirked. “Just according to keikaku.” 

“Yeah, that one.” Sakakura confirmed and then sighed. “That needs to stop.”

“Huh? I don’t understand.” Munakata looked at them with a puzzled expression.

“Well it’s just that we’ve been hearing stuff about it and it’s affecting your rep. We’re concerned about you.” Sakakura tried to explain.

“Elaborate.”

“Huh? Well. That is… It’s just that…”

“Kyosuke.” Chisa intervened with a sweet smile. “What Juzo is trying to say is-” She paused and then smiled sweeter. “It sounds stupid.”

Juzo’s jaw almost fell to the floor. “That’s not what I said!”

“But that’s what you mean.” She hummed.

“Hey! Stop trying to make me look like the bad guy here! This whole confrontation thing was your idea in the first place!”

“Was it now? Maybe~”

And the two bickered on, not really paying attention to the friend who needed their problem fixed. Munakata’s still not sure what the problem was until an epiphany hit him. He chuckled shortly.

“I see what the problem is.” Munakata’s voice cut through their ongoing heated argument.

“You do?” Chisa asked hopefully.

“Oh, thank god.” Juzo sighed in relief.

“Do not worry over me. This much won’t be enough to stop me. To stop us.” Munakata declared proudly as he continued, “Everything will continue as planned. This is the reality, the future that we are going to shape!”

His two best friends were about to applaud him for his motivational speech until he opened his mouth to say,

“Just according to keikaku.”

And used their hands to facepalm themselves instead.


	46. I'm Glad to Have Met You

“Kirigiri… you’re alive.”

Under different circumstances, Naegi should have been ecstatic. She should have been dead and yet here she was breathing and very much alive. He should have been happy beyond reason. And yet, something was mixed in with his supposed joy. A sense of dread. He sounded more of scared than relieved. She was alive but… at what costs?

“Yes, I’m alive.” She crossed her arms and smiled at him. There was something wrong with her smile. A tinge of malice marred at its edges. “Now you’ll have to kill me.”

No, not malice. It was worse than that, much worse. It was despair.

“But why? Why do we have to do this?” He desperately pleaded as he cried out. “I don’t want to kill you!”

“You have no choice in this.” She said matter-of-factly. “Save your friends and the rest of the world or…” She walked towards him until their faces were only inches apart. “Save me…”

She leaned in.

And whispered in his ear, “Save despair.”

When she pulled back, it was only her who was grinning.

He shook his head, still in denial over what was happening, over what her true nature was. He didn’t want to believe it but there was nothing but the truth in front of him. She was alive but she was also something else at the same time. She was a Remnant of Despair.

“But I don’t want to choose despair.” After everything he’s been through, he would never choose despair. He only wanted to save her. Just her. Her without the despair. “I just want to choose you.”

“Even when I’m Despair?” She goaded him with a snide smile.

He wouldn’t let despair beat him not even if it came in her form. “Despair or not, you’re still Kirigiri. Or at least somewhere inside you is Kirigiri.” That’s right. This person was still Kirigiri. the same Kirigiri who had helped me all those trying times.

This was still Kirigiri, he told himself over and over again. That’s why–

“My feelings for you won’t change.” He confessed with resolute devotion.

A tense silence filled the air between them as seconds passed by.

She sighed and shot him an amused smirk. “Naegi, you were always like this. Always honest.” Her smirk gradually turned into a smile, a genuine and warm smile as she returned his confession, “My feelings for you won’t change either.”

“Then–!”

She cut off the heartwarming moment before it could even bloom.

“That’s why it’s such a despairing situation!” She passionately exclaimed. And just as fervent as her face was, it contrasted the dread on his face. She continued in an excited tone, “Aren’t you in despair knowing that the one you love is in despair?”

This was still Kirigiri, he morosely told himself. Despite her breaking out of character, there was no doubt that this was still her. That’s why–

“It’s true that I’m not happy about it…” He admitted forlornly and then quickly picked himself up again as he stared at her with unflinching resolution. “But the fact that you’re still alive gives me hope.”

“Despair giving you hope? How absurd.” She scoffed at his hope.

“You’ve got that wrong!” He resolutely objected.

She didn’t even flinch at his words.

“You know how hope is born from despair? It’s no different from our situation.” He explained. “If you’re in despair then I’ll just have to keep you balanced with my hope.” Then he smiled weakly. “And I’ve got plenty of that since it’s my only redeeming quality.”

She was quiet for a long while, her face was passive as ever.

“Look at yourself. Even in this situation, you’re still going on about hope.” Maybe he was just imagining it, maybe not but he liked to think that her face softened even if only just a bit. A face reminiscent of hope and not despair. A ghost of a smile was on her lips. “I was really looking forward to seeing your despair. Too bad I won’t get to see it since I’ll be dead.”

“You’re not going to miss much. I won’t be in despair even when you die.” He chuckled a laugh that was filled with more sadness than humor. And then he tried to smile encouragingly. He’s not sure if it was for her or for him but he had already made up his mind. “Because didn’t you tell me? No matter what happens, I have to hold on to hope.”

Despite being despair, she would still be his hope.

“I did say such a thing, didn’t I?” She sounded amused by the irony of it. She casually flipped her hair and sighed. “Well at the very least I’ll still be able to enjoy my despair. It’s such a shame I couldn’t get you your share.”

“…It doesn’t have to end like this.” He desperately pleaded. “There’s got to be some other way. There must be! I want to believe in the hope that I can still save you!”

Please! He just got her back! He can’t lose her now! Not again! Not ever!

“Unfortunately, there isn’t. You know how I am. I’m thorough and I’ve set myself up for despair even in the event that your hope would change me.” She chuckled but it sounded more of a hollow laugh. Was she in despair? Or perhaps she was just sad. Either way she didn’t sound the least bit conflicted about this. “It’s too late for me. You have to choose between hope and despair.”

Unlike him, she had already accepted her fate.

“And it looks like you’ve already made your choice.” She pointed out with a blank expression as if she wasn’t affected by this at all.

“I’m still not okay with this but… you’re right. I can’t just throw away everyone’s hopes.” He stared at her straight in her eyes filled with determination. “Even the hope that you placed in me.”

She lightly scoffed. “I was only filling you with hope so that despair could be born from its death.”

“Even so, that hope was the reason I made it this far.” His vision blurred as tears formed around the edges of his eyes. “Thank you for everything until now.”

She stared at him and blinked a few times as if trying not to let her own tears falls if there were any. Softly, she spoke, “…Thank you as well. It was fun while it lasted.”

“I won’t ever forget you.” He said as he raised his hand to deal the final blow.

“So will I.” She nodded and then smiled at him for the last time. “Farewell, Naegi.”

The number of survivors was now less than one.

And in between his sobs were his unspoken words.

“Kirigiri, I’m glad to have met you.”


	47. You Are Not Abandoned

_“No matter what I must sacrifice…”_

Munakata ran forward.

_“All we had to do was keep going forward, toward our ideals…”_

He had been so obsessed on destroying despair that he had forgotten to create hope alongside it. All this time he was just eliminating obstacles until he could purge the world of despair. But that was wrong. He had been so blinded by his goals that he was willing to sacrifice anything and anyone for it. Even his best friend.

Despair had already taken so much from him and he won’t let it take any more.

_“I believed that the world would change. That I could change it.”_

But of course the world wouldn’t change by just his own power. He couldn’t do it alone but it wasn’t like he planned to do it alone either. He had his two best friends to support him all throughout. He was only able to make it this far with them, despair or not. Even if they were despair, he doesn’t regret meeting them at all. He was truly happy to have met them and he wanted the good times to have lasted longer. These two were the pillars that held him up when he couldn’t stand.

_“I always thought supporting you was my job.”_

He had already lost Yukizome, he’s not about to lose Sakakura as well. Munakata pushed forward with all his might. Even after Munakata tried to kill Sakakura, he was still trying to save him. He was mistaken. Sakakura wasn’t despair at all, he was hope. He was giving his hope to Munakata even as he’s bleeding to death.

_“I also believe in you.”_

Sakakura believed in him and still believes in him so it was only right that Munakata should answer his faith.

The trail of blood was getting worse and he couldn’t help but be filled with a sense of dread. Every second that passed was another second piling up to his lateness. No, he wouldn’t be late. Not this time. He’d make it. He held on to the hope that he’d make it in time.

He would not give in to despair and he would not let despair get his best friend.

“Sakakura!” He yelled as he finally made it to the power room, out of breath and desperate.

There sitting in a pool of his own blood was Sakakura with his eyes closed.

Dammit! No! No! NO! He didn’t make it in time again! Not again! Munakata cursed himself as he strode toward him. No, it’s not yet confirmed. He hasn’t even checked for his pulse. He would not easily accept this. His hope was not this weak to be deterred. His right hand reached out to Sakakura’s–

Only to find that it was missing.

Sakakura had cut off his hand. Not just any hand, but his dominant hand. The hand that gave worth to his title, to his talent. The very thing he held pride in the most. He had chopped it off so easily even when Munakata had just as easily stabbed him. Munakata had been so focused on his own sacrifices that he had never noticed others making their own sacrifices as well.

Like how Sakakura was sacrificing everything just for him. For his future alone.

But Munakata didn’t want to be alone. The point of creating a hopeful future was to share it with the precious people in his life. People like the one in front of him. He’d be damned if he’d let lost him as well. So his hand reached out to Sakakura’s right hand instead.

But before he could register his pulse, his eyes opened first.

“Hey… Munakata…” His eyes weren’t even fully open, it was obvious just how little life he had left. “I’m glad… you’re still alive…” He spoke slowly, just forcing the words out of his throat, but even so there was a weak smile on his face. “The world… needs you… you know.”

Munakata gritted his teeth at the sight. “What are you talking about Sakakura? Don’t sound so defeated!” He angrily yelled at him. If he stirred him up, he’d most likely fight back and that could buy them some time.

“I can’t… help it…” He tried to laugh but it came out as a cough which also included blood. His vision was already failing him and his heart was barely even beating. But even so, he couldn’t help but feel like he had accomplished something important. “At least… I got to help you out… in the end.” With this, he could die without regrets now.

Sakakura weakly raised his right hand.

And Munakata firmly held on to it like he held onto hope.

“It’s not the end.” He said it as if he was stating a fact. He would make this a reality. If he believed that he could change the world then he also believed that he could save him. And with that hope, he injected what’s left of the medicine he had used before into Sakakura.

Sakakura’s eyes immediately widened as his life was being brought back to him. But it wasn’t just because of the medicine. His eyes widened because he was surprised. Munakata was saving him… him who had betrayed him.  "Why would you… help someone you already abandoned? Just… why?“

Munakata proceeded to do first aid on him, trying his best to keep him stable and alive.

“You already know.” He answered curtly and the deja vu in the words made him pause for a second. No, now was not the time to be distracted. His life was on the line so he pushed the memory aside and continued his treatment. But Munakata also knew that he deserved an explanation.

Sakakura deserved better.

“Because I still need you.” He answered in all seriousness. “I was wrong. I never should’ve betrayed you. I’m sorry.” His voice broke but even so his spirit was not broken. As long as he still had him, he would not break. “So please, don’t leave me.”

And when Sakakura’s vision finally returned to him, it’s only then that he sees Munakata’s face stained with tears.

“That face doesn’t suit you at all.” He lightly scoffed.

“Whose fault do you think it is that I’m pulling this face at all?” Munakata quipped back.

“What? No smiles for me?” He joked, the medicine must be working since he still had the strength to banter like this.

And then he did smile. Not just any smile. It was a genuine smile filled with hope. “When we both make it out of here alive, I’ll be sure to smile for you as much as you want me to.”

Sakakura felt his heart beat back to life.

_“If you’re with me, it is no dream. It is a plan. It is our plan.”_


	48. Don't Lose Hope

“I’m coming soon.”

Makoto Naegi was in despair.

So many of his friends were dead and yet here he was, still alive. He couldn’t save them. He had only saved himself. None of them deserved to die and yet they still ended up as corpses. He had failed all of them.  
They died and he lived.

It just wasn’t fair. He’s been alive for so long that they must be waiting for him. He wants to see them again and not just through his memories marred with despair and violence. He wants to talk to them and tell them he’s sorry for failing them. He wants to reunite with them.

A knife fell in front of him.

He crawled his way toward it and struggled free from his rope. He grabbed the blade with a manic glaze in his eyes. He’ll see them soon enough. His smile grew wider as his hands held the knife unshaking. There was no fear in him only anticipation. With this, he’ll be able to see them all. Everyone including Kirigiri.

With determination, he pulled the knife towards his throat–

But the blade never touched his skin,

Instead, the knife went flying elsewhere as a hand hit his which made him lose his grip. Before he could even process what had brought this, there was a sudden stinging sensation on his face, a force strong enough that made him flinch and his vision shifted.

There was a tense silence that followed the sharp sound of the slap.

Naegi’s head was ringing. Disoriented, his vision slowly regained focus as he finally saw the identity of this intervention. Hesitantly, he murmured her name, “…Kirigiri?”

It was Kirigiri there was no doubt about it. He wouldn’t mistake her lavender her for anyone else’s. However, it was just her hair that was purple. The left side of her face was marred by purple,  a sideffect from the poison, and there was still traces of blood smeared from her eye. She looked exactly as he last remembered her– a corpse.

This was Kirigiri but Kirigiri was also dead.

“Kirigiri! You’re here!” He exclaimed in a voice that sounded happy and yet it sounded warped. It sounded wrong like he wasn’t himself anymore. “Are you mad? You are, aren’t you? Sorry.” And although he said this in his usual gentle tone, it still came off as eerie.

Kirigiri stared at him with an unreadable expression on her face. It wasn’t because she was wearing her usual blank face but it was more because there were too many emotions showing on her face. Wariness, pity, concern, anger, these were just a few. There were so many that it was hard to pinpoint what exactly she was feeling at this moment as she saw Naegi in this state.

“Why are you so quiet?” It was supposed to be an innocent question but with the way he was now, it sounded filled with malice. “Ah, I get it.  You’re totally mad. After all, I’m still here.” He then smiled at her.

His smile was wrong on so many levels.

“It’s okay. I’ll be with you in a moment.” He said with tenderness and it would’ve been heartwarming if it just wasn’t so wrongly used. He smiled wider, his eyes glazed with despair as he hysterically continued, “I’ll be with everyone in a moment. Just let me finish what I started. I won’t abandon you! I’ll properly see you soon!”

A hand struck him again with more force than the first one.

“…”

“…Eh?” Naegi’s eyes flickered along with his mind. What was going on? He turned to Kirigiri and this time her expression was clear as ever. She looked absolutely furious.

Why? Why? Why? WHY? WHY? WHY???

Ah, that’s right. She’s mad because of him. That’s the only logical reason he could think of. Kirigiri was not the type to be swayed by emotions, especially not anger but if anyone could infuriate her then it must have been him. Him and how he failed her.

He dropped to the floor and apologized desperately, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Tears formed at the corners of his eyes. “I couldn’t save everyone! I couldn’t save our friends!” His hope really was just platitudes after all– “I couldn’t even save you!”

This must be his retribution.

“That’s why I’ll–”

Naegi forgot what he was about to say when Kirigiri suddenly held him in an embrace.

“Naegi…” She murmured and then gently started stroking his hair with a familiar tenderness. “It’s okay.” She whispered as she affectionately nuzzled against him. “It’s okay.” She kept repeating in  a soft and soothing voice.

…It’s okay?

What exactly was okay? Most of their friends were dead so how was this okay? He wanted to argue against her but the comfort she gave him was too distracting. She wasn’t using logic or cold hard evidence but somehow she was convincing him. He felt himself giving in to her embrace. She was just so gentle, and soft, and warm.

Warm…

Warm! This Kirigiri was warm! A corpse isn’t supposed to be this warm but she was a contradiction. His mind shifted as the fog inside began to lift. She was warm which only implied one thing. He pulled back from the embrace and quickly placed his ear above her chest. Heartbeat after hearbeat resounded. There was only one logical explanation to this.

“You’re… alive.” He whispered in awe as he pulled back and properly checked her. She really did look just like how he had left her back in the room except her eyes were now open and she was breathing.

She died and yet she also lived.

“So you finally noticed.” She lightly mocked him but her eyes showed  immeasurable relief. He was starting to make sense now.

He couldn’t believe his eyes but his heart hammered wildly as it believed and hoped with all its might. She was alive. She was actually alive and breathing and right in front of him. There were so many things he wanted to say, so many questions he wanted to ask, so many that he had already opened his mouth without thinking, “But how did you-”

“With this.” She answered promptly, already expecting his question. She pulled out a bottle from her right pocket.

He squinted until he could read the label. “Cure W…?”

She nodded as she tucked away the bottle and explained, “I picked it up when I was investigating Kimura’s body. I wasn’t sure what exactly it was meant to cure but I had my suspicions that it was for the poison.”

His brows furrowed as he processed this information. That made sense. If anyone would have a cure for the poison then it would have to been made by the former shsl apotheracist since she was the only capable one in the group. However, what didn’t make sense was the fact that Kirigiri kept this a secret from them. “If you already had that all along then why didn’t you tell us?”

“Because I didn’t want you to expect.” She answered straight to the point.  "Like I said, it was just a theory that this could be a cure for the poison. There was no way for me to have known beforehand that my suspicion was correct.“

“I know that but still…” He frowned slightly. She had them worry so much, no not worry, she had them grieve. It was, and is still, one of his most harrowing experiences and the feeling of having her death on his life was still heavy on his conscience. His hand unconsciously balled into a fist, a detail that didn’t go unnoticed to her.  "You could’ve told us you know.“

She just shook her head. "I am actually one of those practical people who expect the worst.” She then smiled slightly at him as she quipped, “We can’t all be optimistic like you.”

And just like that, tears flowed from Naegi’s eyes.

“Well it is my one redeeming quality.” He chuckled as he cried. But these tears weren’t the same as the ones he shed when he saw her corpse. These weren’t tears for mourning but rather they were tears of joy. It just felt like it’s been so long since he had a banter with her like this. He was completely moved to tears. “I’m just so happy to see you alive.”

His tears just made his smile shine brighter.

“Likewise, I’m glad to see you survive thus far.” She returned his expression with a tamed version of her own as he gingerly started to wipe off the tears on his face.

They were still together.

Despite being in another killing game, despite having unfair NG codes, despite having a close brush with death, despite all this, they were both still here, alive and together. No matter how many times they got separated, they always found themselves reuniting time and time again.

They were inseparable.

After he had calmed down a bit, she thought that it was best to move forward with the urgent matter at hand. “Now, would you care explain to me what happened here?”

He sniffled and dried the last of his tears. Work mode it is then. He cleared his throat and then began his explanation, “Okay so we read your notebook and how it said that all victims were suicides. Not only that, they were also coincidentally the closest to the monitors. And then from there…”

“You decided to test it?” She asked him incredulously. Well it was obvious that that’s exactly what happened but even so, it still sounded outrageous when she asked it out loud.

“Well it was the only way to confirm or deny your theory.” He answered defensively but also just the slightest bit timidly.

She sighed as she felt an oncoming headache. Of all the ideas they had to come up with, it just had to be the riskiest one. “Didn’t it occur to you how suspicious it was that all the victims chose to commit suicide? Didn’t you think that there was something going on beyond their control? Didn’t it occur to you just how dangerous this plan was?” She shot question after question, grilling him for his reckless actions.

“Yeah, we did think of those.” He nodded in all seriousness. “That’s why we took some precautions. I had myself tied up so I wouldn’t be able to do anything in case something happened.”

Her gaze quickly shifted to what remained of his binds and then she raised an eyebrow at him. “And how did that go for you?

"Not really effective.” He chuckled weakly as he rubbed his arms only to wince as he felt the rope burns.

He was just too reckless and too good for this world.

Kirigiri sighed as she reprimanded him again. “What do you think would have happened if I wasn’t there to stop you?”

“I’d probably end up as the next victim.” He answered with a grimace and there was a tense silence for a while. But after that, his smile quickly brightened up the atmosphere as he happily said, “Good thing you were there to save me, right?”

She just narrowed her eyes at him, not at all taking his humor. “Naegi, I’m serious.”

His smile dampened a bit but now it wasn’t just bright. There was certain tenderness on the corner of his lips. “I’m serious too.” He said in all sincerity. “Just when I was about to give in to despair, you came along and gave me hope.”

His hand reached out and held hers.

“I’m sorry for breaking our promise to never give up on hope but I know you don’t want an apology.” He leaned forward until their forheads were touching. He closed his eyes as he softly recited words from his heart. “So thank you for saving me. Thank you for giving me hope. Thank you for always being there for me.”

Her fingers laced with his.

“I just can’t take my eyes off you for a while without you doing anything drastic, can I?” Even with his eyes closed, he could hear the smile in her voice.

“Nope, that’s why we need to stick together.” He shook his head slightly so that their noses bumped affectionately. He smiled wider. “Like always.”

Makoto Naegi was in despair until Kyouko Kirigiri gave him hope.


	49. Finding Strength in the Weak

Ryota was only human. And because he was human, he was also weak.

“We’re weak creatures. Everyday we encounter small forms of despair. They drag us down until we can’t get up again.” He narrated in his solemn voice, his hope dragging further down with each line.

_If only we were strong enough._

“People can’t beat despair. They just can’t!” He bitterly spat. The taste both familiar and lingering. It was the unmistakable taste of regret that had been stuck in his throat and on his lips ever since he had encounter despair’s human incarnate herself. It was the same horrible taste of guilt that stayed inside his mouth the moment he chose to ran away. It was the venomous taste of despair.

_If only I was strong enough._

“They can!” Naegi firmly refuted. “If people work together, they can overcome despair!”

“No, we can’t!” Ryota argued back with his voice raised. “The world ended up this way because we can’t!”

_Because I can’t. Because I ran away. Because I was too weak._

“People aren’t as strong as you are!” He’s not quite sure if he’s shouting at Naegi or at himself. Maybe a bit of both. Maybe more of the latter.

_I’m not as strong as you are._

But even so, there are things that only he could do.

“I’m not running away this time.” His voice is steady and for the first time ever since he could remember, he sounded confident. He had found his strength. “This is the hope video I created. It has the same brainwashing technique as the despair video but instead of despair, this will create hope.”

This time, his anime will save the world.

“You can’t be serious…” Naegi stared at him in shock. “Let’s think this through first.”

“I’ve decided.” Ryota stood firmly on his ground. “I’ll undo the despair I’ve caused and instead spread hope with this video.”

“But that’s not hope!” Naegi argued back. “You may be able to erase despair but that won’t create hope. This isn’t… This isn’t hope at all!”

“I know that!” Ryota shouted back at him. “Don’t you think I already know that?!”

_Despair exists in the human heart. I can’t erase that._

“But won’t this be better than the world we’re currently living in?” This was barely even suitable for living. No one was living anymore. The few left were just surviving and the rest were dying.  "Everyone is just suffering right now. Causing suffering for others. Causing suffering to themselves. Everything is just too painful, too despairing.“ He held his phone tighter as he felt his frustration build. “But I can do something about it. I can remove the suffering.”

_So I’ll reprogram the heart itself._

“I’ll get rid of all those negative feelings. I’ll put an end to all of this!” He boldly declared. “No one will suffer anymore. No one will be sad again. No one will betray anyone else!”

No one will be in despair anymore.

“A peaceful world without war. A world full of hope is coming!”

“Ryota…” Naegi softly shook his head and gave him a small and strained smile. “You’ve got that wrong.”

“It’s true that if you use that video, surely no one will suffer anymore.” He conceded.

“So you understand what has to be done, right?” Ryota looked up to him with expectant eyes.

Naegi just shook his head again. “Do YOU understand?” He asked and let out a long breath, his face wistful. “Nobody likes suffering. It’s frustrating. It’s horrible. It’s painful.” He clenched his hand over his chest as his voice broke. “It can be unbearably painful.”

Ryota knew who Naegi was thinking of as he said this. Her name was written all over his face.

“But there’s more to suffering than just the pain.” He continued, this time his voice was much steadier. “We grow when we overcome that suffering. And to overcome that suffering, we need to be strong. Stronger than the suffering.” There was a steel determination behind his gaze. “And when we’re not strong enough, that’s where hope comes in.”

_Strength in hope?_

“Hope is what helps us push forward.” He said as he took a step forward.  "Hope is what gives us courage.“ He stepped closer. "Hope is what makes us move.” He stepped closer again. “It makes the world go ‘round.”

Until he was close enough to hold out his hand towards Ryota.

“Hope exists in the human heart.” His smile was just like his words, filled with hope. “We’re stronger than you think.” He nodded resolutely.  "YOU are stronger than you know.“

"I…” Ryota starts the sentence but does not know how to continue it. No one has ever told him this before. No one has ever said the words he’s been longing to hear ever since. All this time he thought of himself as weak. Yet here was a person who thought he was strong. Here was a person who actually believed in him. And here he was, slowly being filled with hope.

Until finally, Ryota lets go of his phone and instead he uses his hand answer Naegi’s invite.

“I want to be strong too.” He firmly held his hand with a newly found resolve.

Ryota was only human. And because he was human, he was also weak. But with hope, he could find the strength to overcome that weakness.


	50. Local Man Blames Despair on Everything

 

Despair took everything from Munakata.

It took away the bright future he worked so hard on building, it took away loved ones from him, and it took away his hopes even the last bits he had barely managed to hold with his fingers. Despair ruined his life and until this day he he was struggling in a battle of hope against it.

“Damn you despair!” He screamed at the top of his lungs as he cursed at despair for getting in his way again.

In the background, his two best friends watched him with concerned yet also exasperated expressions.

“What is it this time?” Sakakura asked as he saw Munakata take out his frustration on an unsuspecting chair.

“We ran out of coffee.” Chisa answered as she watched Munakata flip a table with boiling anger.

“DAMMIT! NOT AGAIN DESPAIR!” He yelled out and this time it was with much more hatred than before.

“Ah. He accidentally stubbed his toes.” Chisa nonchalantly commented.

“CURSE YOU DESPAIR! YOU WON’T GET ME!” He swore when he accidentally spilled his cup of water on him amidst all his thrashing.

“Man, we really should hurry up and eliminate despair. I can’t stand seeing him like this.” Sakakura remarked with a pitying look.

“DESPAAAAAAIR!!!!” He dramatically shouted at the air.

Despair may have won the battles so far but Munakata was hell bent on winning the war.


	51. No One Gets Left Behind

## No One Gets Left Behind - Naegi/Asahina

Asahina couldn’t continue anymore.

“You go on ahead.” Asahina said in a strained voice, the pain of her injury evident in the way her voice shook.

Sweat trickled down her face and it was evident that she was in no condition to be left alone so Naegi objected. “I can’t just leave you behind.”

She shook her head. “There’s still something you have to do.” Her breath ragged, she did her best to sound capable and supportive despite this.  "I’ll only hold you back.“

While it did make sense to go ahead alone, he couldn’t help but feel guilty especially when she was having a crisis of her own right now. “But still…”

“Seriously, don’t let me stop you.” She smiled at him but it came out more pained than she was hoping for. But even so, she had to put on a strong face for him. “I’ll be fine!”

Now was the time for a decision.

“Asahina…” He started and then nodded at her with nothing but  determination in his eyes. “You’re right. There’s somewhere I need to be right now.”

Naegi turned around.

Then he gently positioned Asahina on his back and with some effort, he was able to piggyback her.

“And I’m taking you with me to that somewhere.” He boldly declared as he readjusted his hold.

“Eh?” Asahina was taken by surprise at the turn of events and her voice sounded as dazed as she was. “Naegi? What are you doing?”

“Returning the favor.” She heard the smile in his voice. He was brisk walking and she could hear his strained breathing. “Sorry, I’m not as fit as you so I can only go at a slow pace.”

“What do you think you’re doing? You can’t possibly carry me all the way to the other building! Don’t push yourself.” She argued in concern for his sake. They’re not even past this floor yet and she could tell that this was taking a toll on his body.

“We won’t know for sure until we try. And I’ll do my best.” He said reassuringly. “Don’t worry about me. I’m not the one who’s injured.”

He kept walking, carrying her with him, despite her protests.

“Geez, stop making this into a big deal.” She reasoned. She’s touched by the sentiment of it all but he was really pushing himself at this rate and that weighed heavy on her conscience.  "You can come back for me later you know. After you do your thing. It’s not like I’ll be going anywhere.“

"And it’s not like me to leave my friends behind.” He readily refuted.

Asahina sighed. She knew that there was no way of talking him out once he had made up his mind. A small smile tugged on her lips. “Naegi, do you even lift?”

He chuckled, already out of breath. “I can try.”

Just when Asahina couldn’t continue anymore, Naegi was there to pick her up. And together, they moved forward.


	52. Deleted Scenes

“Have you enjoyed the killing game we planned?”

They will once again dye the world in despair.

“GYAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!”

…As soon as they get this video right.

“Goddammit! What is it this time?” Hinata swore in exasperation as he turned around to glare at the culprit of the commotion.

“It’s not my fault! Something crawled up my pants!” Souda defended himself in tears. And as if to back him up, a hamster popped up from within his jumpsuit.

“Oh, it is one of the Zodiac gods. Awww, it got attached to him.” Sonia cooed.

“Tanaka, could you please reign in your animals?” Hinata scowled.

This wasn’t the first time that this happened. And he’s brought more than just the twelve zodiac gods.

“Foolish mortal. It is futile to try and suppress the powers of the gods!” Gundam laughed deeply as the rest of his hamsters squeaked in agreement.

Sometimes Hinata questions himself for even trying.

“Hey, aren’t we done yet? My legs are going to fall asleep from all of this standing.” Hiyoko whined as she sidestepped for emphasis.

“Just a little while longer. Let’s hang in there, okay?” Koizumi tried to reassure her.

“Do you want Ibuki to sing a song to wake you up? Because Ibuki is all gung-ho for a sing-along!” Ibuki howled with great enthusiasm.

“P-Please, don’t. I know more effective methods on how to treat numbness. But only if you’ll l-let me.” Mikan stuttered weakly.

“Definitely not. We’re not turning this into a music video.” Hinata firmly objected.

This wasn’t even a full minute video so why the hell couldn’t they finish this recording already?

“Maaan, I’m hungry! Can’t we take a snack break first?” Akane complained as her stomach grumbled.

“Master control over your body. You just ate on the way here.” Nidai calmly pointed out.

“If it’s food you want then I’ll gladly prepare them!” Teruteru cheered as he set up a grill.

“We’re counting on you.” Twogami offered his moral support.

“Guys, just so you know we haven’t even recorded anything yet.” Hinata commented, his tone dripping with frustration.

“Don’t be such a hardass. Lighten up a bit, will ya?” Kuzuryuu smirked at him.

“Everyone’s just enjoying themselves.” Pekoyama seconded.

“But can’t we do that like I don’t know… after the video?” Hinata crossed his arms. Despite his protests, he made no move to stop his classmates from their fun. He sighed but there was a smile on his face. “Seriously, you guys are having way too much fun over this.”

“Everyone is so full of hope! I’m so happy to be a part of such a hope-filled class!” Komaeda commented with a huge grin.

This wasn’t a bad scene at all. Too bad it won’t get shown on the video.  And about the video… Well, the video could wait. It wasn’t even a minute long so they could finish that later.

So before they carry the burden of despair, let them relish in the joy of hope.


	53. Afterlife Theater

“It’s over already?”

Meanwhile, in a world separate from the living, those who passed on early watched as the world continued moving without them.

“BORING!!” Junko shouted and threw popcorn at the screen. “Laaame! Boo! Total cop-out of an ending!” She shot harsh criticism one after another mixed in with crude remarks. “Plot? What plot? This didn’t make sense at all!”

“Junko, we’re not supposed to be noisy. There are others watching too.” Mukuro whispered in embarrassment.

“Huh?! Like I give a fuck!” She yelled back even louder just to mock her. “Besides, anything I say is way better than this bullshit on screen!”

“Shut up you ugly woman.” Yasuke reprimanded her sharply, his eyes were focused and never left the screen. “Don’t make me knock you out again.”

“Kyaaah! Public humiliation! How kinky of you!” Junko squealed in delight.

“Could you say that again, big sis? Oh, and put in some more fanservice while you’re at it.” Yuuto commented as he eagerly stuffed another piece of bread in his mouth.

“Inappropriate behavior is unsuited for the theatrical environment. I request that you cease this at once.” Ishimaru scolded the noisy bunch.

“Yeah, man. Keep it down will ya?!” Mondo shouted at them.

“Well she does have good reason to be outraged.” Celes quietly commented with a neutral expression. “This just seems too happy of an ending given what we’ve all had to go through.”

“Dude, you know what would have made this better?” Leon asked no one in particular and so he also answered his own question with a longing sigh. “If we were all alive and with them too.”

A heavy silence fell on them inside the theater.

“Well… It can’t be helped.” Sayaka was the first to speak up. “There’s no way we could cross over. We’re dead after all.”

“A deus ex machina? That’s an even worse ending! I refuse such low quality plot!” Yamada voiced out his protest.

“But just because we’re dead doesn’t mean there’s no reason for us to rejoice for them.” Sakura’s calm and reassuring voice echoed throughout the theater and it had the soothing effect of dissolving the tension.

“That’s right! Even if I’m stuck here, I’m so happy that I won’t be seeing my sis for a while.” Yuta declared with a huge grin on his face. For someone who was dead, he looked very much alive.

“Seeing them alive makes me feel happy more than jealous.” Chihiro smiled as well. “I’m so glad that we got a happy ending.”

“Happy ending my face!” Ruruka objected from the back seat. “Do you know how much suffering I had to go through? And these guys get to live but not me?? Talk about favoritism!” She cried out exasperatedly.

“Ruruka, please calm down.” Seiko anxiously tried to pacify her friend. “I know you’re still upset but it’s already over.”

“It’s useless. She’s been ranting about it all this time. Just let her talk it out.” Izayoi said as he then nonchalantly ate another macaroon.

“You’re not the only one who suffered you know.” Bandai let out a long sigh. “I didn’t even last one hour after the game started.”

“…Sorry about that.” Sakakura promptly apologized. “I didn’t know it at that time but still, that got you killed. Sorry…”

“It’s okay. I’m not as mad anymore.” He then smiled knowingly. “Not when I know why you’re always so grouchy and frustrated.”

“W-What’s that–”

“Juzo~” Chisa slung an arm over his shoulders. “Look, it’s Kyosuke on the screen. Aren’t you glad that he’s alive?” She smiled and then her face softened as she offered her most sincere gratitude. “Thank you. If it weren’t for you, he would’ve been here with us.”

“Tch. You don’t need to thank me. You would have done the same thing if our roles were switched.” He looked away for a moment and then when his eyes met hers, there was an unspoken understanding between them. “Wasn’t it you who said that you could die for him?”

“I did, didn’t I?” She softly said and then almost jumped from her seat as she pouted at him. “Ah, but you beat me to it! No fair!”

“Well I wasn’t about to let him die on my watch.” He chuckled and then scoffed. “And had he died there then I would have punched the old man here.”

“My, someone’s full of energy now isn’t he? Ahaha!” Tengan laughed heartily.

“If you’re going to have some fun then count me in.” Great Gozu bellowed from his seat, ready for some action.

“Everyone’s getting along just fine~” Gekkogahara remarked through Monomi.

“Not a bad ending, don’t you think?” Kizakura commented as he drank his liquor.

“It’s the best we could have ever hoped for in the midst of all this despair.” Jin seconded as he too downed his drink.

And beside Chisa sat Nanami who had been watching here the longest. “Everyone did their best and so a miracle was created out of everyone’s hopes.” She smiled softly as the scene showed her friends with bright and hopeful smiles. “I think I can wait a little while longer until we can play a game together again.”

And with that, the curtains of this theater closes while the screen continues to play. A world without them continues to move. But even so, they still hope for those on the other side. This wasn’t the end, at least not for those still alive. There’s still the future. A future that they could shape as they want it to.

And for those who have passed early on, they will be here in this theater, eagerly watching this new future take shape.


	54. Acceptance

Ryota has done some horrible things in his life.

Ever since the day he met Junko, he had done nothing but regret. Day in and day out, the guilt he had over his sins weighed him down. He carried the burden of it all and it felt like with each passing day, he was getting closer and closer to getting crushed under its weight. He has caused so much suffering and so he also suffered. He suffered alone.

But he didn’t have to be alone, not anymore.

“You’ve lost weight. Have you been eating properly?” Ryotwo pointed out in concern.

“That’s no good, Ryotate-tots! You gotta eat lots, ya know!” Ibuki commented as she handed him another barbeque.

“You’re missing out on some good stuff. Food tastes way better after a victory!” Akane said with her mouth still full.

“Eat up to your heart’s content! I made that with love… and an extra spice for added flavor!” Teruteru grinned schemingly.

“Ew! I didn’t need to know that!” Hiyoko scowled. “Creepy comment aside, if you want some entertainment to go with your food then I might consider performing for free just this once.”

“D-Don’t worry about indigestion, I’ll h-help you out as much as I can.” Mikan offered timidly.

“Then let’s burn those calories afterward! You need exercise to match with your diet!” Nidai yelled encouraginly.

“Oi! Give the guy some space! You’re all smoldering him!” Kuzuryuu reprimanded them.

“Perhaps we’re just making up for lost time.” Pekoyama commented with a small smile.

“Ah. That was a nice shot!” Koizumi said after her camera flashed.

“Please do not hesitate to ask us if you need anything else.” Sonia insisted.

“Hey, if you need help with gadgets for making your anime then you can count on me.” Souda said proudly as he puffed his chest.

“Should anyone cause you trouble then divine punishment will reign down on your enemies! You are now under a contract with the Forbidden One!” Gundam bellowed out.

“I’m sure your hope will only shine brighter now!” Komaeda said with a huge grin.

His eyes scanned the whole class who were full of smiles, and joy, and _hope._

“How is it?” Hinata nodded at him with a small and tender smile. “Isn’t it more fun with everyone?”

And he thinks, he doesn’t regret his choice of choosing this future.

“Yes, it’s certainly is.” Ryota said with a smile. “I feel like I missed out on a lot by skipping out all those classes back then.”

It felt like it’s been so long since the last time he pulled his lips upward. There was just something comforting about the atmosphere and he knew that he had their company to be grateful for. These wonderful classmates, these empathetic comrades, these hopeful friends. He felt at ease here with everyone who not only understood him, they also accepted him and his sins.

Ryota has done some horrible things in his life and so have his classmates. Together, they carried these sins with them.

And together, they moved on.


	55. His Hope Answered

“I’m going to carry the burden of hope.”

That’s what Naegi decided on as he stared at the horizon.

Those people on the boat would carry the burden of despair, a far greater burden than anyone could handle on their own. But he’s not worried for them, not anymore. They’re not carrying the burden alone. They have each other to support themselves. Their past may have been dyed with despair but they’re free to choose hope for their future now. He knows they’ll make the right choice and believes in them.

He also knows just how much they believe in him. No, it’s not just them. Throughout his life, people have placed their hopes on him time and time again. And that hope had become his strength to push forward, his will to carry on, his courage to take that terrifying step into the unknown. Hope had saved him. Whether it be the hope he had for others or the hope that others had placed in him, these hopes had helped him all throughout. He was only able to make it this far because the people he believed in had also believed in him.

He stared at the remnant of his hope smeared on his hand as he whispered, “Kirigiri…”

And when Naegi turned around, he swore he saw his hope.

The sun’s rays were beaming down on her and he had almost forgotten about the dark and dreary room where he had left her. _He took a tentative step forward._ He squinted at the vision in front of him, at this illusion conjured up by his weary mind. _He took another step forward towards uncertainty._ He remembered the last time he saw her and how the dark violet of her skin did not match her lavender hair at all. _He took wary step after wary step._ He recalled her last smile and her words which he held on to even in her death. _His steps grew larger and his pace grew quicker._ He could see her much better now and noted the smile on her face and just how much he wanted to test how nice her smile would feel on his. _His steps were hurried and frantic as he approached her with all his trepidation and anticipation._

Until he figured out for himself that she was very much solid and real and _alive_ when he tackled her in a longing embrace.

She was warm and his heart drummed in excitement when he held her. His heart pounded harder when he felt her heart beat as well. He couldn’t care less that she was covered in dust or that half of her skin was unnaturally purple because those little details didn’t matter. What mattered was how she had reciprocated his embrace, her arms tightly wrapped around him. What mattered was how beautiful her breathing sounded as he nuzzled against her cheek affectionately. What mattered was how her heart was beating and how his heart was beating faster just for her.

Nothing else mattered as long as she was alive.

“Welcome back, Kirigiri.” He murmured reverently. Although there were tears in his eyes, the smile in his voice could be heard clearly.

“It’s good to be back, Naegi.” She uttered as her hand held his face and he leaned in her touch with unbridled joy.

They were separated before and for both of them they had thought that it would be permanent. However, as hope and maybe just a bit of luck would have it, their separation was just a prelude to this reunion. Because after everything they’ve been through, perhaps they were inseparable. Now in each other’s arms, they were together.

And together, they hoped.

A bright future shines on them. A future full of hope that they’ll create together.


	56. Road to Recovery

_No one has seen the future._

Despite all the losses that day, they weren’t defeated. The Future Foundation had suffered a devastating blow and many irreplaceable lives were lost on that day. But not all hope was lost. For those who survived, they continued on with their lives and carried with them the hopes of those who died. It was their responsibility to shape the future that everyone had hoped for.

“Hey! What do you think you’re doing, Kyouko?” Makoto reprimanded her the moment he saw her. Usually just the mere sight of her would have him smiling ridiculously but this time he doesn’t look as pleased. With a small frown, he set down the tray he had with him and approached her instead. “I told you to take a break. What do you think you’re doing?”

Kyouko continued on with her typing, her speed was not the least bit affected by his demands. “I’m doing just that. Taking a break.” She nonchalantly answered.

He raised an eyebrow at her even though her eyes were glued to the screen. “Really? Then what’s with the laptop?”

“I just so happen to prefer spending my breaks more productively.” She casually reasoned and heard his frustrated sigh. Without any warning, her laptop was suddenly taken away from her. She eyed him with controlled displeasure. “Now that’s just rude.”

“And that’s just bad table manners.” He retorted as he set aside the laptop.

It’s only then that she notices the tray of food that he brought with him and as an afterthought, she only just realized how late it was. “ Is it that time already?”

He chuckled as he set down the dishes and tablewear. “Seriously, you need to take better care of yourself.” He then added with a smile. “What would you do without me?”

“Get more work done.” She answered flatly and his laugh had reassured her that he got the joke.

“Right. And we can’t have that. Otherwise, the rest of us are going to lose our jobs.” He joked back. “But just so you know, I’m still upset that you worked overtime again.”

“When was the last time I didn’t work overtime?” She asked him.

“That’s…” He paused as he wracked his head for an answer. “That’s actually concerning how I can’t answer that.”

They fell into a comfortable silence after that. The only sounds in the room were the sounds of tablewear used on the dishes. Makoto is concentrating on preparing her meal just like always. The dish today wasn’t anything difficult to eat… unless you’re a person with only one fully functional hand.

Kyouko may have survived the poison but its aftereffects lingered. They were surely subsiding slowly with each day but each day was also torturously slow. It took her two months before the purpleness had completely faded away and through therapy she had regained control over her left leg somewhat. There’s still some light paralysis regarding her left arm and hand but nothing permanent. Her eye would take much longer to heal but it wasn’t a lost cause. All in all, she’s incredibly lucky to have made it out with not so permanent repercussions.

But these injuries still made her everyday life incredibly difficult to deal with. Things that she could ordinarily accomplish without effort now took all her strength and willpower just to take it a step at a time. What’s annoying was that it was those little things, things she took for granted, that she had the most trouble with.

That’s where Makoto stepped in. She never asked him for help even when she needed it because he was always there to volunteer it. He was willing to deal with her handicapped self even though it took a lot of patience. He was even more considerate about her than herself. And as much as she was touched by the sentiment, she also felt frustrated for herself and her incapability. Sometimes she asks him to just let her to it herself and he does let her. This wasn’t one of those sometimes. This time she feels like she wants to be spoiled even if only just a bit.

“There! All cut up and easy to eat!” Makoto declared with a proud grin. “Let’s dig in!”

Kyouko stared at her meal with gratitude and smiled. “Thank you for the food.”

They ate in relative silence… much to her surprise. Normally he’d start talking about something or about someone even if they weren’t all too exciting stories. She knew that he was only sharing them as a way of extending her world. She hasn’t been leaving her quarters much, for practical reasons, and he must have thought that she wanted to be let in on what’s happening outside. She’s neutral about it to be honest but she appreciated his efforts nonetheless.

So it was a bit concerning that he was uncharacteristically quiet today. But upon closer inspection, she could tell that he wasn’t focused on eating either. His hands moved idly and his gaze wasn’t meeting hers nor was it looking at anything in particular. His lips would open every now and then as if to say something but then he’d back out by promptly eating a spoonful of their meal. He was anxious, that much she could tell but over what she was about to find out.

Nothing will change if you wait around.

Finally, Makoto had gathered the courage to get the words out. He gulped audibly as he then forced the words that had been stuck in his throat. “I plan on bringing back Hope’s Peak Academy.”

There is a certain stillness in the room as the sounds of tablewear stop.

Kyouko scrutinized him for a long moment until she spoke words that she had careful chosen on. “…I’m listening.”

He let out a sigh of relief, grateful that he wasn’t shot down yet. When he opened his eyes, there was nothing but resolve in them. “You know how I’m kind of the symbol of hope now?” When she nodded, he then continued,  "Well, I haven’t exactly been doing much but be a symbol and that’s hardly enough hope to reach everyone.“ His hands nervously fiddled with his spoon. “I was thinking of ways on how to bring hope to everyone and then I thought…”

There was a pregnant pause that punctuated his sentence and his hesitance.

“If Hope’s Peak Academy caused the downfall of the world then… maybe it could also rebuild it.” He finished his sentence and let out a deep breath. “Well even if I say I’m bringing it back, it’s not really going to be the same as the last one.”

Just when she thought he couldn’t surprise her any more, he just did. Her curiosity piqued, she asked, “How so?”

“I want it to be open to everyone.” He professed earnestly. “Talented or not, everyone has hope inside of them. That’s why I don’t plan to discriminate. I want everyone to understand that anyone can become hope.”

_In a future where you never know what’ll happen…_

“So…” He faltered for a moment, his anxiety kicking in again as he tentatively asked her, “What do you think?”

She blinked. What did she think? She pondered out loud, “I think…”

_We’ll take one step at a time forward._

And then she gave her answer with a small smile. “I think you’ll make a great headmaster.”

That smile of hers was nothing compared to the huge and hopeful grin on his face. “Thank you!” He exclaimed full of joy and he had even unconsciously leaned over the table in his excitement. “You’ll be a lovely vice-head.”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Who said I’d be coming along with you?”

His smile immediately plummeted at this as he asked her with look that was almost pleading, “You won’t?”

She internally sighed. How could she say no to that kicked puppy face? She casually ran her hand through her hair and nonchalantly said, “Yes, well I suppose someone has to be there to keep you in check.”

She hoped that he wouldn’t notice the blush on her face.

“Really? I’m so happy!” His smile came back at full force and it was worth the embarrassment. “You won’t regret this, I promise you!”

They still have a lot of work to do but that’s okay. They have plenty of time to go through it, step by step, piece by piece, hand in hand.

“I look forward to our future together!”

_Hoping that tomorrow is going to be a better day._


	57. Rumors

Rumor has it that the headmaster and the vice-headmaster were dating.

Naegi stared at the group of teenagers in front of him with a worried expression on his face. While he always made it a habit to talk to the students while he was out and about in the hallways, rarely did he get any visits from them. After all, the only students who visited his office were those with specific reasons. Well, specifically troubling reasons. He sighed. It hasn’t even been a year into this and already there was a major incident.

“Would one of you please explain to me why you thought it was a good idea to flood the corridors?” He asked with a stern expression on his face.

The group of students jostled and elbowed each other, obviously trying to get one of them to step up. Unfortunately for one of them, they were pushed with just enough force to have them stagger forward and put on the spot. The student blanched when their eyes met and in their panic they blurted out, “I-Is it true that you and Miss Kirigiri are d-dating?!”

…What?

Naegi blinked in confusion. Did he just hear that right? “Uhh… could you run that by me again?” Smooth, Naegi. That sounded very professional indeed. Wiser  words couldn’t have been spoken.

“Um!” The student straightened themselves and nervously repeated, “Are you… dating Miss Kirigiri?”

…Is this for real?

Naegi felt someone’s palm on his face. It was his palm. This was just unbelievable. No, that’s not right. Of course he would always believe in his students. It’s just that this was so ridiculous that it was absolutely stressful. Rebuild the school, he said. Become the headmaster, he said. Just what did he signed himself up for? He let out a long sigh as he regained his composure.

When he lifted his hand off, he wore a polite smile as he spoke, “Are you telling me that you decided to reroute the swimming pool’s water into the hallways, rendering even the classrooms flooded, just so you could be sent here…” He paused as he eyed them levelly. “Here. In my office- where only the welfare of students is discussed- just so you could ask me on my lovelife?”

“Uh, no sir.” One on the far left objected. “We’re actually asking for Miss Kirigiri’s lovelife, not yours.”

“Shut up!” The one beside them slugged the other one. “I’m actually interested if he’s single or not.”

Another one raised their hand in embarrassment. “Just so you know, I have no idea who these people are. I was just dragged into this. Please, spare me.”

“And I’m here because I just genuinely wanted to flood the corriders.” The one on the far right proudly declared.

Ah, youth. Naegi had totally underestimated the power of teenagers.

He sighed yet again and chuckled weakly. “Well I guess I have to commend your… efforts.” He’s not actually sure if this was the appropriate response. Should he be encouraging or disciplinary?

“So is it true?” The more forward of the group asked him excitedly.

“Now where did you get that kind of information? And why so interested?” He dodged the question. “Ah, could it be that you’re also crushing on her?”

“Also?” One of them picked up. “Wait, so does that mean that you’re not dating?”

“Okay but are you trying to date her or have you given up?” Another one shot a follow up question before he could even answer the first one. “This is important information.”

He seriously had to hand it to them. They honestly pulled off that stunt just so they could ask him about some rumor. Well at least they had the guts to do it and that at least deserved a reward, right? “Well to answer your question I–”

The door abruptly opened to reveal none other than the other half of the party in question.

“Headmaster, there’s been an emergency. We have urgent matters to discuss.” Kirigiri said and although it sounded like an alarming topic, her face was as calm as ever.

“More urgent than the whole ground floor getting flooded?” Naegi asked although he already had a suspicion on what the answer would be.

“Definitely.” She crossed her arms as her eyes met the group of students. “It is a matter best discussed in private.”

He let out a sigh and then smiled at the students. “Well, you heard her. I’ll let you off with a warning for now. But you still have to go to the guidance counselor for this.” Although he had the faintest suspicion that Komaru would be more thrilled by their antics rather than disciplinary.

With that dismissal, the group of students had left with no new information and left in the room was Naegi and Kirigiri.

Naegi let out a weak smile. “So how long were you listening in?”

“The whole conversation. Obviously.” Kirigiri nonchalantly flipped her hair.

“Thought so, ahaha.” He chuckled. “Man, can you believe the length they went through? You’ve gotten quite the admirers, Kirigiri.”

“I’m pretty sure that at least one of them was an admirer of yours.” She casually approached his desk. “Although from what I could tell, the consensus was that they were generally interested in us. Or rather, the status of us.”

“Yeah, about that…” He timidly started when he noticed just how close she was now. She was leaning across his desk, her face dangerously close that he could smell her perfume. An intoxicating scent. He gulped as he then asked, “Would you mind enlightening me too while you’re at it?”

At first, she was in front of him. And then she was kissing him.

And all too soon the kiss ended. Kirigiri pulled back, her lips lingering on his for a moment longer, and smirked at him who was left breathless. “They’re all rumors of course.”

Naegi pulled her back in just to double check.


	58. Parental Guidance

In the vast expanse of the ocean, their ship just had to come across a van-slash-rocket. Naturally they blamed Komaeda for such an unusual turn of events but little did they know just how much involved he was in this.

“You guys. Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Souda asked in disbelief.

“Isn’t this exciting? It has the feeling of adventure written all over it!” Sonia exclaimed.

“More like suspicious.” Saionji snickered.

“So? What are we going to do about it?” Mitarai asked warily.

“Well we can’t just leave it alone.” Twogami readily answered. “What if someone’s in that?”

“T-That’s horrible! We should h-help them out if we can!” Mikan stammered.

“Very well then it would seem that you require the blessing of the aquatic lords.” Gundam stepped forward, his scarf billowing in the breeze. “However, I may need someone’s assistance to pry the vehicle open.”

“I’m game for a quick swim!” Nidai volunteered and already began warming up. “Akane, be on standby in case whatever’s inside is hostile.”

“Roger!” Owari nodded. “I sure hope there’s food in there!”

“I wouldn’t put my hopes into food…” Hinata said to himself. He already knew what or rather, who was in there but he thought it was best to let them see for themselves.

The last thing they expected to find inside the van was a listless girl. She didn’t even seem fazed at all when they had forcefully opened the door. She just stared at them for one second, quickly finished her typing, and then shut her laptop to join the rescue team. Once she was on board on their ship, she opened her laptop again and typed with one hand while the other held on to barbeque. She just acted as if nothing unsual just happened.

While everyone else was baffled by her behavior, Komaeda quickly greeted the familiar face. “Oh, hello there, Monaka. Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Mm…” She chewed and then swallowed. She spoke but she didn’t even bother to look at him properly as her eyes were glued to her screen. “Skip dialogue. Don’t make this any more awkward than it already is.”

“As cheerful as always I see.” He just laughed her comment off.

“Excuse me, it would seem that you two are acquainted. Would you mind elaborating on this?” Pekoyama politely interjected.

“Hm, well I guess we are.” He placed his hand on his chin as if in thought but in the end he just brightly smiled at them and admitted, “After all, I was the one who raised her.”

…

“YOU WHAT??!”

The whole class roared in shock and they could’ve sworn that the ship rocked just the slightest bit from their uproar.

“Who the fuck let Komaeda raise a kid??” Kuzuryuu angrily yelled.

“My it would seem that Komaeda’s already gone ahead and become an adult way before us!” Teruteru remarked excitedly.

“Ibuki had no idea that Koma-kun’s spirit of adventure was that high!” Ibuki screeched.

“Getting involved with Komaeda can’t be good. She’s probably turned into a hope-maniac like him.” Saionji commented snidely.

“Hey, guys. I know we’re all surprised and all but could you not react so violently? She might get freaked out.” Koizumi tried to calm down her panicked group of friends.

“She raises a good point. We haven’t even asked her status yet.” Twogami said as he then approached Monaka. “Are you okay?”

She glanced at him blankly and continued blogging as he mumbled, “Yeah, just peachy.”

A collective sigh of relief resounded.

“Oh, thank god. She’s normal!” Souda cheered.

“Yeah, for a moment there we were kind of expecting you to burst into a hope speech or something. But I guess we were worried over nothing.” Koizumi chuckled.

“Oh, he does that to you too? Must suck to be his friends 24/7.” Monaka commented snarkily. “That stuff is way too annoying for me to handle. I’m way over that hope stuff. Bleck!”

“Meh, she could be worse. Much worse.” Kuzuryuu shrugged. “She’s more  normal than I thought.”

“Perhaps we were just overreacting.” Pekoyama seconded.

“Agreed. Who knew that Komaeda could be entrusted with the welfare of a child?” Sonia remarked.

“Hey, you’re not so bad at kids after all!” Akane slapped him on the shoulder.

“Aww, you guys really think so? I feel like I don’t deserve even half the praise you’re giving me!” Komaeda chuckled, still not used to being treated so kindly. “But seriously, you’re giving me too much credit. I’m just a failure of a parent. After all, I did try to raise her to be the second Junko Enoshima and look how that turned out.”

A moment of silence.

“YOU WHAAAAAAT??!!!”

Monaka just waved her hand at them as she commented, “Trust me, you don’t even want to hear the story. It’s not as exciting as it sounds.”

Little did they know just how much Komaeda’s influence on Monaka was but the next question was, did they even want to know?


	59. Student Warriors of Hope

The Warriors of Hope continue their righteous journey in a world paved with trials of a whole new level.

They were back in school. To be precise, they were in high school. Not just any high school but the ultimate high school - Hope’s Peak Academy. Well, maybe ultimate isn’t the appropriate term. This is the newly reformed one of course. Hence, nobody has titles and every student is called hope collectively.

It’s different here. Not everyone is talented. Not all the problematic students were grouped together. Not a single person is entitled to any more than the next person. In short, it was just an ordinary high school. But because of its normalcy, it stood out all the more. It was a symbol that the world could normalize as well. It was a pillar of hope.

This school was far superior than its predecessor.

Everyone and anyone could enroll here and it was actually encouraged to go to this school than any other high school despite its checkered history.  That’s why when they were invited to become students of the school, they decided that it wasn’t such a bad offer. They even kept their squad name as Warriors of Hope.

Just like any group of heroes on a quest, there were challenges they had to overcome and enemies they had to defeat.

“W-What is this supposed to be?” Touko asked with a scowl, her hands clutching a piece of paper that she had just skimmed through.

“Isn’t it obvious? It’s my homework.” Masaru answered confidently.

“Your homework was to write an essay on anything that happened to you.” She snarled and continued, “Slice of life basically. Non-fictional. Based on your own experience. Need I go on?” She sighed. “How hard can it be to write something s-so simple? I thought the instructions were clear enough so w-why the hell am I reading a fantasy au?!”

“Hey! I’ll have you know that what’s written there actually happened to me!” He contested as he leaned forward in his seat.

“I know. I was there during some parts.” She deadpanned.

There was an awkward pause in the classroom.

“A-Anyways, if you’re going to write a fantasy au then you could have done b-better than this.” Touko squinted at the paper again with animosity in her eyes as she crudely remarked, “And seriously? You’re still going for the whole hero spiel? What are you? Twelve??”

“Actually, he’s s-seventeen…” Jataro timidly corrected her.

“Well his writing says otherwise.” Touko sneered and then eyed the problematic student levelly. “I’m not accepting this. Redo it. Pass it to me on monday.”

Masaru got up from his seat and protested, “Ehhh? You can’t do that!”

“Tough break, kid. I don’t make the rules in this class.” Touko commented without a shred of mercy. And even smiled in amusement just to rub salt in his wounds. “Oh, wait. I guess I do.”

“No way! This totally sucks!” Masaru groaned but he knew it was futile to argue with the teacher.

“H-homework… on a weekend? That’s h-horrible!” Jataro said.

“Laaame!” Kotoko jeered at him. “Are you sure you’re trying hard enough? Are you even passing?”

“I told you to change your paper.” Nagisa sighed. Being the voice of reason in the group was tiring especially when nobody listens to him. “This is what you get for ignoring my advice.”

“Guys… you gotta help out a friend in need here.” Masaru pleaded.

“Nope! Not my problem!” Kotoko smiled sweetly.

“S-Sorry, I’m not really good at t-this kind of thing.” Jataro stammered.

“Maybe next time. When you actually listen to reason.” Nagisa calmly  brushed off his pleas.

This was the usual classroom scene here at Hope’s Peak Academy. Well, at least for this class in particular. It’s always lively here every day.

“Touko~” The door slid open to reveal the cheerful form of Komaru who walked towards her best friend gave her a warm hug in front of the class.  
At this point in the semester, the class is used to it although it still brings a slight blush to Touko’s face. “Huh? It’s t-time already?” She asked but began to pack her things so she could move on to her next class. “Well whatever. I’m done with these brats anyways.”

“Keep up the terror teacher image. It’s really convincing.” Komaru commented with a smile.

“Well someone has to balance out your peppiness.” Touko scoffed.  "Seriously, you’re like a walking ray of sunshine. If you weren’t my friend you would have been easily bullied by the students.“

“Best friend.” Komaru corrected her with a dazzling smile.

“Y-yeah… best… friend.” Touko repeated, much softer and more sincere this time. She always gets like this whenever their friendship is brought up and it’s one of those rare moments where she’s less intimidating and more grateful instead.

Meanwhile, the class whispers in hushed voices so as not to interrupt the heartwarming moment between the two teachers.

“Aw, aren’t they the cutest!” Kotoko squealed as she watched the scene unfold. “I want a girl friend too! So I have someone to be all cute and mushy with!”

“Bleck! Who would want to do that?” Masaru commented with disgust.

“See, this is why you’re never going to get a girlfriend.” Kotoko sighed and just gave him a look of pity.

“What? How is this even related to that!” Masaru asked indignantly.

“Don’t worry… Even if you don’t get a g-girlfriend, you still have us.” Jataro patted him on the shoulder.

“Don’t even get me started on this topic.” Nagisa said as he discreetly hid the love letter that he got for that day. “I suggest we focus on other and more urgent matters.”

“Yeah, because Masaru’s not gonna get a girlfriend anytime soon.” Kotoko snickered.

“Hey! I heard that!” He shot her a glare but it just bounced off as she giggled.

Such was the new path for the Warriors of Hope.

Their journey had just begun and an uncertain future laid ahead of them.


	60. DR3 version SDR2

“You are under arrest under the charge of the ultimate crime of all… plunging the world in despair.”

The battle of hope against despair had reached a turning point.

With the death of Junko Enoshima, the Remnants of Despair still carried on their activities and continued to live under her will for despair. But it wasn’t long before Makoto Naegi and company had managed to capture each one. They were placed in the New World Program in the hopes that they could be rehabilitated into their former non-despair solves however, it seemed that Junko’s despair persisted even in her death.

The virus had caused the program to backfire and now ten out of the fifteen remanants were in comatose states. Before any proper treatment could be given to them, the surviving five who woke up were immediately taken away by the Future Foundation. They could have fought back but there were people at the pods of their friends still in comas and they didn’t want to risk it. And so they let themselves be taken in and held on to the hope that their friends would still be there when they got back.

Now the leaders of hope and the leaders of despair were all gathered in the same room.

“If that’s all you have to say then we’re leaving.” Hinata spoke in an eerily calm voice.

“Well aren’t you an entitled piece of shit!” Sakakura yelled at him. “You  don’t get to call the shots here. In fact, you should just get shot yourself.”

“D-Dude! What are you doing?!” Souda cowered from behind. “You’re not supposed to piss them off! We just barely made it out of that killing game and you’re already signing us up for death!”

“I’d listen to that kid if I were you.” Kizakura coolly commented. “As you can tell, not everyone here is levelheaded.”

“No need for that.” Hinata replied and then turned his back. “We’re leaving. This is a waste of time.”

A dagger shot out and narrowly missed him by the cheek. “Leaving isn’t within your rights.” Izayoi said vehemently.

“You guys are just so full of yourselves. You think the world revolves around you. You think that this is all just some game for you. You think you can get whatever you want.” Ruruka commented, her tone laced with venom and hatred. “Ha! Well not this time. Not anymore.”

“Please, may we all just calm down?” Sonia interjected. “We do not wish to fight.”

“You don’t actually have the right to fight.” Bandai corrected her. “We’re deciding for you. You don’t have any voice in this matter.”

“Huh?! So you’re saying that you expect us to just lie down and take this shit?!” Kuzuryuu angrily yelled at him.

“If you wish to go any further than that then I will be obligated to use force.” Great Gozu said as he stood up.

“I’d like to see you try.” Akane challenged. “Pick a fight with my buddies and you pick a fight with me!”

“Please, no rough-housing! We’ve already had enough of violence so let’s settle this one peacefully.” Gekkogahara pleaded through her screen.

“I-I have my medicines with me though just in case.” Seiko spoke through her face mask and then mumbled, “But I… can’t promise that I’ll save anyone that isn’t part of Future Foundation.”

“For an organization that symbolizes the hope of the future, you don’t look too promising.” Hinata commented snidely.

“Hmph, taunts will get you nowhere, Despair.” Munakata replied with a scathing glare. “Say what you want while you can because those may be your very last words.”

“That is enough. Settle down now.” Tengan’s voice echoed in the room. “Let’s move on and discuss what we all came here for.”

However, Hinata had other matters he wanted to bring up first. “It’s been a while… Miss Yukizome.”

“It has, hasn’t it?” Yukizome smiled brightly at them. “It’s so nice to see you again.” Her smile lowered. “Although it would have been better if everyone was with you.”

Hinata’s mouth opened to say something but before the words could come out, smoke filled the room. One by one they started dropping unconscious. This was one of the reasons why Hinata wanted to leave. He didn’t want them to get involved in this mess. But he also foresaw that their involvement was inevitable. As long as they could survive this and make it back to the rest of their friends then they just had to get this over with. And it was with that thought that Hinata let himsulf succumb to sleep.

Everyone had woken up to an annoying yet dreadfully familiar voice.

“Upupupu…” An ominous laughed reached their ears.

“Not this shit again.” Kuzuryuu cursed as he searched for the source.

“You can’t be serious. Please let all of this be a dream. A very bad dream. I don’t want to go through that hell again.” Souda begged with tears in his eyes.

“This is quite the unusual turn of events and I am not so thrilled by it.” Sonia remarked with trepidation.

“Alright if this is some prank then I’m going to beat up the person who thought of even pulling this on us!” Akane yelled with anger.

“As long as there’s despair in people’s hearts…” The screen lit up and out came the face of despair itself. “Monokuma will always come back!”

Despite the panic in everyone’s faces, there was one person who looked unaffacted by it all.

Hinata stared forward and calmly spoke, “How boring.”

The battle of hope against despair raged on.

* * *

**BONUS:**  
Possible NG codes

Hinata - cannot reveal the secret of the game or the mastermind  
Kuzuryuu - cannot make eye contact  
Souda - cannot tamper with electronics  
Sonia - cannot refuse an order  
Akane - cannot fight back


	61. Tamed Soldier

When Ryota saw that the class of 78 had escaped, he expected that the Future Foundation would rescue them. He expected that the SHSL Soldier would still be with them as well whom he had already been acquainted with before. And so he also expected that he’d cross paths with her again sooner or later.

What he didn’t expect though was just how different she would be.

He’s not sure if it’s because he’s repressed most of his memories associated with Junko or if he just never had much interaction with Mukuro before, maybe it’s a mix of both. He remembered just a few moments regarding her and from what he knew, the only time she showed any emotion was that time she watched his anime. Other than that, she’d kept a stoic face in the background unless addressed by her twin. That’s why Ryota had expected her to be no different now. Even if she had turned down despair, that didn’t mean her personality would change that much, right?

Oh, how wrong he was.

“Ahhh!” As if on cue, Makoto had slipped and was about to fall for the flight of stairs.

But Mukuro had caught him before any accident could occur. “Be careful.”

He let out a sigh of relief and then smiled brightly at her. “Thanks, Mukuro!”

And this was one of those weird moments where she’d get all flustered and stammered, “Y-You’re welcome.”

Ryota expected a coldhearted killing machine but instead he just kept seeing like… this. He knew of Fenrir and of how they were wolves but as she was right now, all he could think of was the image of a puppy who was overly attached to its owner. While she still wore a stoic face most of the time, her mask would always break around Makoto. And how often was that? More often than not considering that she was only allowed to roam freely so long as he was with her. Although judging by how attached she was to him, he thought that she’d probably still stay by his side even without the probation.

“Hello there, Ryota.” Makoto naturally greeted him when their eyes met. “You’ve been staring for a while without saying anything. Is something the matter?”

Ryota’s eyes briefly glanced at Mukuro who had already placed her blank face on. He noted how her hand was still on Makoto’s shoulder and how he didn’t even flinch under her touch. That just showed how much he trusted her and of course, it also showed just how much protective of him she was.

“No, it’s nothing.” He shook his head and answered weakly, “Just got lost in thought for a bit.”

“I know what you mean. It happens to me too.” Makoto chuckled lightly. “Well then we’ll be heading off now.” He bid him farewell.

Mukuro didn’t utter a word but she did nod a bit before walking off with her partner. Ryota couldn’t help but notice that they were an inch closer than necessary. He didn’t know why he felt compelled to watch their retreating figures but as he did so, something happened. He saw Makoto say something he couldn’t quite here but saw the telltale blush on the face of Mukuro.

And Ryota couldn’t help but wonder just what happened to the emotionless soldier that he knew.


	62. Soldier Meets Killer Killer

Ikusaba was facing something she has never encountered before in her life.

“It’s an honor to finally meet you!”

Or rather, someone. Someone who was apparently her fan.

“I’m Takumi Hijirihara from the 6th Branch and under the Special Case Bureau .” He bowed politely as he introduced himself. “I like to hide in small cramped spaces. I fall in love easily. And my kill count is 1** so far.”

She just merely blinked as she absorbed all of the information she had just been bombarded with. Nobody has introduced themselves in such depth to her before. Usually just the name and division was enough but never did anyone voluntarily divulge information about their personal lives. And his was quite… intriguing. For some reason, she’s not at all fazed by that last trivia although she already knew that it would raise concern for her partner.

“Um, if I may intrude.” Naegi timidly raised his hand. “By kill count, you do mean murder cases solved, right?”

Hijirihara paused for a torturous long moment. The tension in the air was so thick that it was palpable. They stared at each other, the person in question had blank eyes as he opened his mouth.

“No, I meant kill count.” He deadpanned and then he returned his gaze towards Ikusaba and life instantly returned to his eyes. “I don’t know what else to say now that I finally get to meet you in person! I’m so moved! I’m sure you don’t remember me since I was in hiding during one of your massacres but I remember you!”

Ikusaba noted the cold behavior he had shown Naegi but she also knew that it was harmless so she let it slide. As long as there was no killing intent and there was no attempt to harm her partner then she’d let him be. Although she knew that this was just a distraction from her dealing with his… enthusiasm. She’s never seen someone so fanatic over her and since she didn’t know what to say or do, she just let him continue.

“You are a killing goddess! You changed my life and made me see just how beautiful blood truly is! And I have looked up to you ever since!” He showered her with praise and added, “You even inspired me to become Killer Killer!”

Naegi choked on his own spit. “K-Killer??” He coughed as he sputtered.

Ikusaba continued to stare forward, unfazed but also still at a loss as to how to handle this situation. That alias sounded vaguely familiar. She recalled reading a file on it. “Aren’t you that serial killer who kills other killers?”

Hijirihara let out a happy squeal. “You’ve heard of me? I’m truly honored!” He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with admiration. “If it’s not too much to ask, what do you think of my works? It’s alright, I can take whatever you say, I just want your honest opinion. If there’s anything I need to work on then please don’t hold back and tell me. I want to improve myself!”

Ikusaba skimmed through her memory as she recalled the photos of the victims under his alias’ file. She could give him a few pointers but she wasn’t sure if that was appropriate. She chanced a sideway glance at Naegi who looked like he was just about to faint. She returned his gaze to Hijirihara. “Sorry, um… I don’t know the specifics.”

“Oh, I see…” His face fell almost instantaneously but then again, he had also recovered quickly as he suggested right after, “Then how about I do a live demo?”

“Absolutely not!” Naegi firmly objected, suddenly finding his voice.

Hijirihara turned his head to him and Naegi almost flinched at the blank stare he received, his was voice just as dead as his victims. “Who are you again?”

Naegi stared at him, slackjawed. “I’m Makoto Naegi. We introduced ourselves earlier.”

“Oh, it’s you.” He blinked and then dismissed him. “Well nobody asked for your opinion.” Naegi was about to retort but it seemed as though Hijirihara wasn’t finished yet. “Ah, but I guess I’m grateful to you. After all, this meeting wouldn’t be possible without your help in the grand scheme of things.”

He then turned to Ikusaba and frowned. “It’s such a shame that you aren’t allowed to kill anymore. I would have loved to see you in action again. It’s truly a loss for humanity.” He mourned. “But don’t worry. I’ll do my best to protect your legacy.”

“Uh… thanks?” Ikusaba’s not sure what to say. “Do your best?”

“Don’t encourage him!” Naegi panicked.

“Yes! I won’t let you down!” Hijirihara smiled brilliantly. “I will become a worthy murderer!”

Ikusaba still didn’t know what was happening but she thought that maybe she did right judging by how happy Hijirihara looked.


	63. Shipper and a Bystander

Mitarai should have felt safety in numbers and yet…

“Aww, just look at them! Aren’t they the cutest together?” Asahina practically cooed.

And yet, he couldn’t help but feel annoyed instead.

At first he honestly was relieved to have regrouped with the other two. Although their circumstances were still dangerous, at least he had felt safer with more people around. And these two were trustworthy enough if not reliable. However, to say that they had regrouped may have been pushing it. Despite walking together, the group had naturally split into pairs.

Or rather, a couple and a pair of onlookers.

Naegi and Kirigiri fell into step almost naturally as they led the group. Mitarai would have followed their pace as well if only Asahina hadn’t roughly pulled him back. He questioned her about it but she quickly hushed him with an excuse of letting those two have some space. He’s not quite sure what to make of the nature of the relationship of those two but he knew what Asahina’s stand was. She made it vocally clear.

“Um, is the live commentary really necessary?” He asked her in an exasperated tone. Despite the two ahead of them walking in companionable silence, Asahina on the other hand found it her job to describe the underlying context of that acceptable silence.

“What?” She looked at him incredulously. “Don’t tell me that you don’t ship this.”

Mitarai blinked. Did she just say what he thought she said? “Excuse me?”

“This. As in this ship.” She proudly gestured at the supposed couple before them. “This OTP Naegiri.”

He could only stare at her dumbfounded. He has never heard those words used to address actual people rather than those in anime. He’s even more surprised that she even has a name for them. And on that note, “Do they know that you gave them a ship name?”

“I think they do? Or at least Kyouko does.” She answered and crossed her arms in thought. “I’m pretty sure she knows. Nothing gets past her.” She tilted her head as she then remembered. “That or I may have told her before.”

“You told her?” He stared at her skeptically. “And how did she react?”

“I can’t remember. Like I said, I’m not really sure if it’s one or the other.” She then casually waved him off. “Well she hasn’t told me anything against it so it should be fine.”

“You have her approval??” He felt his jaw almost fall off. This was ridiculous and yet oddly enough, he found it believable at the same time. “But what about Naegi?”

“Naegi’s a bit slow when it comes to this so he might not know about the ship name.” She shrugged and then as if a switch had been flipped, she leaned forward and excitedly explained, “But that’s just what makes this ship sail smoother! His pure innocence compliments her no-nonsense attitude! And the way that she just lets her guard down only for him! Kyaah! I live for those moments!” She squealed in delight.

Mitarai let out another sigh. There she was again. He knew, no, he understood that when it came to shipping, there was just no end to the discussion. He dragged a hand over his face tiredly and muttered, “This is going to be one long hour.”

Asahina continued to fangirl over Naegiri as Ryota begrudgingly listened all throughout.


	64. Future Foundation Wants Their Underwear Back

“Makoto Naegi, of Future Foundation Branch Office 14, you are under arrest on suspicion of treason.” Munakata announced. Naegi had expected this, handcuffs and all, what he didn’t expect were his next words. “As such, you are deemed unfit to carry responsibility and you now forfeit the right to possession of previous treasured garments. We expect you to return these post-haste.”

Naegi stared back, confused. He’s not exactly sure what he meant by that, there were a lot of technical terms in there that didn’t quite make sense to him. “Um, could you… repeat that?” He nervously asked.

“Return it.” Munakata coughed and then held out his hand, “My underwear.”

…

Naegi broke into cold sweat as his gaze swept across the room. Hell would soon freeze over.

“What the…? You gave him your underwear?” Sakakura looked over in disbelief. “I thought you said you only gave me and Yukizome yours?”

Munakata avoided his accusatory gaze. “I meant what I said. At the time it was only you two. But…”

“But Kyosuke found out that him and Naegi got along pretty well, right?” Yukizome smoothly interjected with an easygoing smile. “Don’t get too jealous of Naegi! After all, we also gave him ours don’t you remember?”

“Q-Quiet! This is a private matter!” Sakakura stammered in reply, his face was red in a mix of anger and embarrassment. Mostly anger. Misdirected anger at Naegi. “Whatever. You heard Munakata, give us back our underwears.”

“And don’t forget to return mine either! I don’t like the idea of it being in the hands of someone like you! You traitor!” Ruruka snarled menacingly. “You know what? I’m not even going to keep it. I’ll just go ahead and burn it after since you already touched it! Ugh!”

“I want mine returned too.” Izayoi seconded and even revealed a threatening weapon from his sleeve. “I’ll be sure to shred it like how Ruruka would have wished it was you getting ripped to pieces.”

“G-Give it back.” Seiko murmured, her expression hurt. “I t-trusted you but in the end… you betrayed me. You’re just like them… a traitor!”

“A jumping cow knows no gold.” Bandai shook his head in disappointment. “I wanted you to have my underwear but now I want you to give it back.”

“While I don’t necessarily agree with what you did, it is still a bit upsetting. We worked hard to capture those Remnants of Despair after all.” Great Gozu said with his arms crossed. “I may need some more time to think over if you are worthy enough to bear my underwear.”

“Let’s not fight over this!” Gekkogahara said through Monomi. “I’m sure that Naegi is willing to return all of our underwear if we just ask nicely.”

“I don’t understand how you could choose them over us… All they have is despair but we… we have hope. And yet…” Mitarai tightly held his phone in frustration. “Please. If this is how you are then… just give me back my underwear.”

“I gotta hand it to ya, kid. Never figured you’d be quite the undergarment collector.” Kizakura tipped his hat towards him. “I just might want mine back since now I know I’m not that special.”

“Ah, youth. Had the circumstances been any different then I might have taken joy in this spectacle.” Tengan commented with his gravely voice. “But what you did is a serious crime against the beliefs of this organization and against humanity. And on a personal level, you have breached our bond of trust. Truly you have forfeited the right over the very symbol of our friendship.”

Naegi couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He was called here… just so they’d demand their underwears back? In the first place, whose bright idea was it to give away underwears as a sign of true friendship? It definitely wasn’t his and yet everyone kept giving them to him. But as absurd as it was to give them away, it was even more ridiculous to ask them back. He flushed red at the prospect. This was certainly embarrassing if not humiliating.

“You’ve been awfully quiet to our demands.” Munakata pointed out as he slammed his palm against the table, immediately silencing the room. “What do you have to say for yourself?”

Naegi opened his mouth to say something but no words came out.

After all, he couldn’t tell them that he left all of their underwears back at his quarters.


	65. Meet the Future Sister-in-Law

This meeting has been long overdue.

Technically, Komaru has already met Kyouko but that was before, way before Komaru was trapped in Towa City, way before Kyouko was forced into the killing game, and way before the idea of the whole world falling into despair ever crossed their minds. They had already met before any of that. But even so, that was still different from now given the current circumstances. Things change. People change. Relationships change.

Back then, Komaru only knew her as her brother’s classmate. Now Kyouko was his lovely girlfriend. And it was only customary for Makoto’s sister to meet said lovely person.

“Wow, you’re even prettier in person.” Komaru said in awe at first glance.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you too.” Kyouko chuckled slightly.

Komaru just stood there in disbelief. Even Kyouko’s contained laughter sounded graceful! She looked at her in pure adoration, her and her gorgeous lavender hair with an adorable braid at one side, her and her fair complexion slender figure, her and how she carried herself with utmost dignity it was truly stunning. Wow, she thought. Just, wow.

And then Komaru turned to her brother. He tilted his head cluelessly. Her brother wasn’t… bad. He’s just leaning towards average or a tier above standard. Oh, who was she kidding? He was just as plain as she was! It must run in the family. And although he did grow a few inches, he was still shorter than Kyouko. She wondered briefly if she preferred shorter guys. Maybe it was his optimistic personality that caught her. Or was it his hope?

Wait, was it even possible to seduce someone with hope?

Either way, as his sister, it was also her obligation to warn her future sister-in-law about what she’s getting into. “Alright. Be honest with me.” She took a deep breath to compose herself.

The air in the room suddenly became heavy with tension.

“How many embarrassing stories has he told you?” Komaru finally dropped with nothing less than a tone of seriousness. “Because this is important information that you need to know.”

Makoto’s face paled at first and then in the next instant, he was as red as a tomato. “K-Komaru! W-What are you s-saying!” He sputtered.

“Hmm, forgive me. My memory seems to have failed me.” Kyouko feigned ignorance and slyly shot a sideway glance at Makoto who just stared at her in horror. A smirk tugged lightly at the end of her lips. “Do enlighten me. It might help refresh my memory.”

Komaru nodded. “Okay so let’s start when he wet his bed–”

“KOMARU!!” Makoto yelled desperately and even pulled his sister by the shoulders. “What do you think you’re doing?!” He asked her with a sense of urgency but mostly desperation.

“Bro, just look at her. She’s way out of your league.” Komaru stated and Makoto just rolled his eyes at her vote of support. “I’m just letting her know just how much of a dork you are to even out the expectations.”

Meanwhile, Kyouko discreetly coughed and murmured to herself, “That much I’m more than aware of.”

Makoto on the other hand just frowned at her. “Just which side are you on?”

“I prefer to stay neutral.” Komaru raised her hands as if to clear herself of all allegations to otherwise. Her eyes wandered to behind her brother and again she found herself staring in awe at Kyouko. “But I’d also prefer if she was on our side.” She confessed.

Makoto blinked. Did she just mean what he thought she meant? “Come again?”

“She’s just so cool! And amazing! And cool!” Komaru gushed as she jumped up and down while she fangirled. Her eyes returned to her brother, pleading. “Please, please tell me you already have a ring prepared.”

“Komaru!” Makoto shouted at her with a face that was getting redder by the second. “She can hear us you know!”

But Komaru didn’t hear him. “Also, I know black and white are the traditional colors for a wedding but maybe we could change it on yours? I don’t know about you but I’ve had enough of the monochromatic theme to last me a lifetime of nightmares.” She just continued on telling them of her dream wedding for them.

Makoto tried and failed to get her to stop talking, much to Kyouko’s entertainment.

This meeting has been long overdue and that’s why Komaru excitedly poured over everything she had been wanting to tell Kyouko and an embarrassed Makoto.

* * *

 

**BONUS:**

“Well that went splendidly.” Kyouko commented the moment that they were in private.

“Yeah, for you. That was so embarrassing for me.” Makoto let out an exhausted sigh as soon as he flopped down on the couch.

“You were cute.” She nonchalantly teased him.

Which was always effective in bringing out a blush from him. He mumbled, “Thanks…”

She sat down beside him and wordlessly, he sat up only to have his head lean on her shoulder. She placed hers on top of his and hummed, “So when do you plan to tell her about our engagement?”

He let out another sigh and her hand naturally went to comb through his hair in a comforting manner. “The plan was back then but as you can tell she’s already excited enough.” He breathed against her, his breath was warm and inviting. “Let her fantasize a bit more.”

“Even though that fantasy is already a reality?” She asked as her hand stilled and just held his head light so.

“I know. It’s just hard to believe sometimes.” He confessed as he affectionately nuzzled against her neck, his hair was ticklish against her skin.

Naturally, she giggled. “Oh, then should I remind you?”

With her hand still in his hair, she easily pulled his head back just enough so she could capture his lips with hers. The kiss was gentle, slow, and sweet. At first. Until she playfully bit at his lip which made him gasp and then the kiss turned more adventurous. She kissed with the passion she’d been holding back in front of others and he gladly returned the fervor. And at one point, the intensity of the searing kiss had gained so much momentum that she had repositioned herself to be straddling his hips. She smirked against his lips.

They still have a long way before the actually wedding happens but until then, she’s here to thoroughly convince him that it’s happening.


	66. Reckless Without You

After the events that took place in the Future Foundation Headquarters, after that grueling ordeal and traumatizing experience, after all the deaths and despair, after everything that had happened just yesterday, they had finally returned to the safety and comforts of their own quarters where the group of the original six survivors were gathered.

For those who had been there and lived to tell the tale, they did just that and talked about what had happened inside that building as the others listened in attentively. Kirigiri had just finished sharing her side of experience and so Asahina took it upon herself to continue on where she left off.

“We were so heartbroken over your death.” Asahina said as she wiped a few tears that trickled down her face. She sniffled. “I’m so happy that you’re still alive with us now.”

“I’m sorry for worrying you.” Kirigiri apologized as she held her in a comforting embrace around the shoulders. She lightly patted her back and murmured softly, “It’s alright. I’m still here.”

Asahina smiled despite her tear-stained face. “Thanks, Kyouko.”

“Honestly, we all thought you were dead.” Naegi smiled too although his faltered just a bit. “Don’t go worrying us like that again, okay?”

“I’ll try not to but no promises.” She answered with mirth in her voice. “You know it’s an occupational hazard.”

“And of course you just have to answer with such a straight answer.” He chuckled and when he smiled this time it reached his ears. “It’s good to have you back.”

From there, Naegi and Asahina pieced the story of what happened after Kirigiri’s alleged “death”.

Naegi had just finished retelling his showdown with Munakata and so Asahina continued from there, “And then Naegi went ahead and tested Kyouko’s theory on the murders being suicide.”

The cup of tea that Kirigiri had been holding on at the time was slammed harshly onto the table.

“…He did what now?” She calmly asked in a voice so devoid of any emotion that it was frightening.

“Oh, he tested it. Had himself tied up and separated from us.” Asahina continued, not quite able to read the underlying change of mood in the room. “You should ask Naegi on what happened next.”

“Yes, Naegi.” She almost hissed his name. Almost. Her eyes narrowed dangerously at him. “Do enlighten us on the results of your reckless actions.”

Naegi audibly gulped. “Uh… theory confirmed?” He smiled weakly and hoped that would be enough to calm her wrath.

She would have none of that. “Do you understand just how reckless and dangerous that was?” She scolded him and although she didn’t raise her voice, he was already shrinking from her.

He held his head down in shame and apologized. “Sorry.” He looked like a puppy who had been kicked, sincerely apologetic.

She sighed. It was impossible to hold a grudge against him but she would not let him go just yet. “This is why I can’t just leave you alone.”

“Then don’t.” He raised his head and stared back at her with shy confidence. His hand reached out for hers, the contact, warm, tender, affectionate. He then smiled lightly and suggested, “Just stay by my side. Like always.”

“…!” She didn’t expect him to have such a suave comeback on hand. It took her completely by surprise and she could tell from the sincerity in his voice that those were words straight from his heart. She didn’t have a response readied for that and so she just stared back at him with reciprocating intensity.

In that one moment, it was as if only the two of them existed.

And in the next, the rest of people in the room just had to let their presence known.

“If you two are done flirting then please let us move on with the story.” Togami bluntly intruded, unamused by their display of affections. He scoffed as he pushed up his glasses. “You have yet to proclaim how you were valiantly rescued by me.”

“Y-Yeah! T-Tone it down with all the PDA!” Fukawa stuttered as she shot them with scathing glares. “Weren’t you two locked together in a building for hours? Or would you rather have been locked in a closet instead?”

“Wait you guys were locked in a closet?” Hagakure asked cluelessly and then demanded, “When did this happen? How come you skipped on the good part! I want details!”

“Guys! Way to kill the mood right there!” Asahina huffed and pouted at the missed opportunity. “We were so close to seeing something!”

The pair blushed at all of their comments, Naegi more so than Kirigiri, and they proceeded with the story in an effort to divert their attention. It was mostly Naegi who was talking and so Kirigiri listened in beside him. And as he told his story, she couldn’t help but think back to his offer from earlier.

“Just stay by my side. Like always.”

Kirigiri held up her other hand to cover the smile that formed on her lips. It was just like Naegi to speak without thinking and so his words weren’t those formed by the brain but rather those pulled out from the heart. She hasn’t told him her reply to that offer but she figured that she didn’t have to. He should know her better by now that some of her words were best unspoken. And as she intertwined her fingers with his, she knew that he already knew her answer.

They’d stay together. Like always.


	67. Munakata Gets an Ahoge and Sakakura & Yukizome Lose Their Shit

Munakata has never learned the true value of a well kept look until this fateful day.

It was bound to happen, sooner or later. In hindsight, this was all perfectly preventable and yet he had failed to do so. In fact, he had recklessly dug his own grave. He had been overworking himself lately, more often than not. Everyday he’d work harder than the day before and increasingly, he began to neglect his own care. He was overworking himself to an early grave.

In fact, the usually prim and proper man had his sharpness dulled by stress and not enough hours of sleep. It had gotten to the point where he would collapse as soon as he’d get home, completely ignoring how uncomfortable it was to sleep in working clothes. Well to be fair, this was the first time he had been so negligent of himself and given his work ethics, he thought it was more appropriate to call him being indulgent instead.

Either way, it didn’t change the fact that Munakata had slept at the door again. A quick glance at his phone’s clock told him that he’d be running late for a meeting if he dawdled any longer. His hand tiredly dragged over his face as he then let out an exasperated sigh which suspiciously sounded like a yawn. Well he knew that the people he would be meeting wouldn’t mind seeing him in such haphazard attire and he would rather be less presentable than late.

If only he took the time to at least brush his hair then maybe he could have avoided the disaster altogether.

“Pardon my tardiness. I’m glad you two made time for me.” Munakata greeted his friends with a tone that was less stern than what he used with colleagues.

“Kyosuke!” Yukizome called back at him, her face was absolutely radiant with that wide grin of hers.

Until her eyes caught something.

“Oh no…” Her face instantly blanched and her voice shook in apprehension. “Please say it isn’t so…”

“Munakata!” Sakakura called out to him but he was also tight-lipped. A hollow laugh escaped his lips. “To think that this day would actually come.”

Munakata looked back at his friends and their odd behavior. Wasn’t it too early for theatrics? How strange because even if they did start early, this wasn’t their usual antics. Something was off. They both stared at him with certain seriousness in their eyes and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was missing something. Those eyes were filled with just as much resignation as they did with determination.

And contrary to theirs, his was full of confusion.

“How cruel!” Yukizome broke into tears and hiccups. “I always knew you were destined for greatness but this is too much!”

“Dammit!” Sakakura in his frustration, slammed his fists against the table. “If this is how it is then I’m not backing out on this. I’m going to walk through hell and back for you.” With you, he almost said.

“Excuse me but what is the meaning of this?” Munakata asked, befuddled.

“He’s not even aware of it yet!” Yukizome gasped and then covered her face with both hands just as more tears flowed. “Juzo, you tell him. I don’t think my heart can take it if I see the moment his heart breaks.”

“Stuck with the dirty job, huh? Well it’s not like I’d turn you down. Someone has to tell him and I’d rather it be you or me…” Sakakura’s bittersweet smile was haunting. But only for a second. In the next moment, he had his lips pressed into a thin line as he then raised his phone with the screen facing his best friend. “Don’t worry. This changes nothing. We still got your back.”

Before Munakata could question his choice of words, his own words got caught in his throat as he saw his reflection for the first time on that day.

Munakata had an ahoge.

“I…” His throat was suddenly dry at the revelation. “I don’t understand.” But he did, he actually did to some degree which was why this development was so shocking to him. Why? Why now? He knew that he had the potential but this… this was never part of his plans, no, his goals.

“You’re a protagonist now, Kyosuke.” Yukizome sniffled as she tenderly held his hand with both of hers, tears shining in the corners of her eyes. “Congratulations on making it to the big league. I know that the path before you is now tougher than before but I believe in you. If anyone can pull this off then it’s you.”

“Look at you, can you get any cooler than this?” It was a rhetorical question. Sakakura knew that the answer was most likely “yes” and it would always be “yes” as long as Munakata was involved. The corner of his lips were pulled into a smirk as his eyes shone with admiration. “Don’t go leaving us behind just because you levelled up. You’re going to get our help whether you like it or not because there ain’t no way in hell that you’re going to face this alone.”

His two best friends smiled at him expectantly.

“I…” Munakata was speechless but he knew that they deserved better than silence. They were right and like always, they grounded him to reality. A smile of his own was forming on his lips as he said, “I’ll do my best. Thank you for staying by my side. And I hope you’d continue to support me as always. Let’s give it our all!”

The three best friends broke into cheer and celebrated for the rest of the day. Whatever plot or character development that the future has in store for him, he would courageously face them all head on. After all, he knew that no matter what, these two would always be there to catch him should he ever fall.

However, the next day, the stubborn cowlick was gone after Munakata had taken a bath… and they never spoke of that incident again.


	68. Friendship Underwear

Of all the things he had expected from his friends, underwear never crossed the list.

Sakakura and Yukizome stared at him expectantly as they proudly handed over their underwear as if it was a normal thing to do between friends. Was it? Munakata worried himself that he may have missed a custom but he’s more embarrassed than anything. He’s not sure how to react. He doesn’t even dare to take them yet for fear of not knowing what he was getting himself into. First things first, he had to clarify just what on earth was going on.

“What is the meaning of this?” He eyed both of them warily.

“Isn’t it obvious? This is a symbol of our fully blossomed friendship!” Yukizome answered all too enthusiastically.

“I don’t think I fully comprehend this.” He replied truthfully.

“What’s not to get? You don’t see us giving away our pants to anyone else. Just take them. This proves that we’re the closest of friends.” Sakakura added, not quite meeting his eyes.

Oh, so that’s all what this was for? Just a new aesthetic for friendship which he hadn’t been informed on. He let out the breath he was holding. For a moment, he had his breath caught in his throat as he pondered on the more explicit implications of giving away the said garment. But it seemed that he had misunderstood and he was grateful that he listened to their side first. They were the best of friends so it should be normal to be so close that they would exchange underwears completely in a platonic sense.

“Don’t get the wrong idea, I haven’t given my underwear to Sakakura.” Yukizome playfully winked at him.

“I didn’t give mine to Yukizome either. It’s just you.” Sakakura said rather bashfully and he tried to cover the blush blooming on his face.

Munakata froze on the spot. Just when he thought he understood, he didn’t. He was left more confused than when he started. Just what kind of wrong idea did she mean? He thought he had the right idea but now he couldn’t tell anymore. So was this or was this not platonic? They did say that the main motivation behind the gesture was friendship but that confused him more. Where was the equal treatment? Why was he the only one getting underwear? Just what was he supposed to do with them afterwards anyway? It’s not like he could use them and no, he’s not going to stoop so low as to do anything perverted.

“I…” His mouth hang loose as he tried to gather his thoughts. Nothing made sense inside his head. He gave up. “I’m sorry, what do you want from me?”

“Your acceptance.” He said.

“Your underwear.” She said.

They spoke at the same time and Munakata heard them both. He could feel his brains drip out of his ears.

And true to his feelings, he gave up.

He silently took the offered garments and strode to his office where he kept spare clothes. When he came back, he unceremoniously shoved a brief for each of his best friends. “Take it. I’ll figure it out what it means later. Just take it for now and let’s get back to work.” He strode past them without looking back, unaware of the discussion he left behind.

“Told you he’d fall for it.” Yukizome snickered as she neatly refolded the brief and tucked it in her apron.

“I can’t believe that actually worked.” Sakakura remarked in awe as he pocketed the brief quickly but also carefully.

The rest of the day went uneventful but throughout it, Munakata couldn’t help but feel conscious of the two out of place underwears in his pocket which he would later iron, fold, and tuck at the bottom of his drawers.


	69. Monaka’s High School Debut

Monaka had finally seen the light, changed her lifestyle and broken out of her NEET shell– or at least that’s the illusion she was trying to sell.

It wasn’t her choice obviously. If it had been entirely up to her, she would have returned to space as soon as she restocked on supplies. Admittedly though, that was a terrible plan since it wasn’t sustainable in the long term. She could only gather so much fuel for too few trips and they hardly lasted long enough. She was lucky that the first time she crashed on earth was near a boat that boarded non-hostile people. The catch? Nagito was one of them and instantly, her luck had soured.

Nagito was the last person she had wanted to see on this planet. He was the reason she had given up on adulting in the first place and escaped to space. She wanted nothing to do with the guy obsessed with hope and she thought that he would just let her be since she wasn’t all that into despair. So they shouldn’t have anything to do with each other anymore.

Unfortunately, his friends thought otherwise. They believed that Nagito had some responsibility regarding her- still has- and so he was coerced to awkwardly fill in the guardian role again. He was a natural pushover so he easily complied. Monaka wanted to barf over that forced tie. Him? Her guardian? He was her servant at least and her business partner at most but guardian? She knew better than to have him decide on her life.

Except, it was the only way she’d get a constant supply of food with minimum effort. She couldn’t be bothered to overthrow the system since that was a hassle so she decided to humor them and play along for now. Besides, it wasn’t like they asked her to live with him and play house- thank god- she was more than happy when they said that they’d be far, far away from her throughout all this aside from the occasional visits. So she was pretty much set for a comfortable life.

Provided that she attended school, specifically, Hope’s Peak Academy.

“Why do you even bother coming to class when you’re not going to pay attention anyways?” Touko openly snarled at her.

“The same reason why you still bother to check my attendance even though you want to mark me absent.” Monaka lazily shot back.

“Why you little…” Touko grumbled and fumed at the front but she knew better than to fight with a kid.

“You don’t even need to go to school since you get good grades effortlessly! Isn’t it pointless for you to be here?” Masaru asked with just a hint of envy underneath his obvious annoyance.

“I know right? I ask myself that every day.” Monaka replied as she continued to play with her portable gaming console.

“Oh, I know. You’re just here to m-mock us. Because you g-get to play all day and we s-study a lot b-but you still score h-higher. Is this a new form of b-bullying?” Jataro questioned with an extra stammer of nerves in his words.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Monaka shrugged nonchalantly, she stopped listening after the first stutter anyways. “Get wrecked.”

“I hate you! Seeing your face makes me sick! I can’t believe I have to breathe the same air with a bitch like you!” Kotoko smiled sweetly in contrast to her acidic words. “Die! Die! Die!”

“Lol. Same.” Monaka deadpanned.

“Please turn down the volume. If you’re not going to act like a student then at the very least, you could respect the classroom and not disturb class.” Nagisa venomously hissed at her despite his seat being far away from hers.

“Not interested.” Monaka simply turned up the volume and the whole class groaned at her childishness.

“That’s it. I can’t take this anymore.” Touko scowled and then proceeded to make a call on her phone. Once it was picked up, she wasted no second in ranting. “I give up. I refuse to handle her anymore. You said you’d take over if it didn’t work out. Well I tried and you can’t say that I didn’t. So help me before I have a murder on our hands and believe me, I am capable.”

Monaka on the other hand, was oblivious to everyone’s struggles as she obnoxiously continued to play loudly. Some were even shouting at her but she tuned them out with ease much to their frustration. She would have played the whole day at a leisurely pace too if only her console didn’t suddenly die on her. She blinked. That was odd. She was sure the battery was still full. Her hand went to reach for the powerbank in her bag but was stopped when someone towered over her.

“Of course you wouldn’t make things easy for us.” Komaru sighed with her hand on her hip. Something was strapped onto one of her belt loops and Monaka’s eyes widen in recognition at the megaphone. Well that explained why her console flaked out on her. Komaru sighed once more as she pulled Monaka in stride with her. “Why are you so hell bent on making this hard for everyone?”

“Don’t like school.” Monaka shrugged as she followed suit.

“Right. Obviously. Why did I even ask?” Komaru muttered to herself and silently dragged them across the floors until they stopped in front of a classroom. “Well since you clearly aren’t fitting in the normal classroom setting, the principal and I thought that maybe one-on-one might work better. And luckily for you, we found just the right person!”

When the door slid open, Monaka almost bolted out on the spot if only Komaru’s grip wasn’t crazily strong and held her in place.

Shit.

“Ah, hello there. It’s good to see that you’re doing well, Monaka.” Nagito greeted her with an easygoing smile. “Now why don’t you come in and have a seat. I’m sure we have lots to discuss about Hope’s Peak Academy and the honor of attending here.”

Monaka has never truly hated school until at that point where she had to learn under Nagito’s careful tutoring.


	70. SDR2 Komaeda vs SDR2.5 Komaeda

This was the showdown nobody asked for.

“Hello, I’m Nagito Komaeda, SHSL Luckster.”

“Hello, I’m Nagito Komaeda, I have the worst luck but it’s no talent.”

Perhaps even worse than the appearance of monokuma was the glitch of having two Nagito Komaeda in the New World Program.

Out of all the possible hurdles to the rehabilitation program, Komaeda’s luck just had to trigger the event with the least likelihood. Even with a program this advanced, it shouldn’t have made such a basic error in creating a double. What’s worse was that the double just had to be an almost polar opposite of the original. And out of all the participants, it just had to be Komaeda.

Both Komaeda’s were unnerved by each other’s presence and in fact, they took it rather calmingly. Contrary to the rest of the class, they took it in stride and resolved at peaceful acquaintances until the matter was resolved. However, that treaty was effectively dissolved once they got to know each other. It wasn’t so much about having a doppleganger but rather the issue that their double had such atrocious values.

“I despise talent. While it’s true that I don’t have any talent, I don’t hate it out of a personal grudge or anything. I just think that the world would be a better place without it.” Komaeda 2.5 discussed with a carefree smile.

“How truly despicable your existence must be to have no talent and therefore, no hope within you. I don’t blame you for having such twisted beliefs. It’s only natural that the worthless would hate those with worth.” Despite the harshness of his words, Komaeda’s smile was light and easy.

“I think that it’s you who is pitiful. Just because you have talent, your ego has inflated so much that you think that that’s all there is to the world. Those who are born with worth are meant to rule over the worthless, is that it? Despite your grand abilities, your worldview is terribly narrow.” Komaeda 2.5’s voice dropped to an ominously low level as he muttered, “I feel so ashamed to share name and face with you.”

“By all means, I’m the one disgusted by your existence!” Komaeda chuckled almost lightheartedly if only his eyes didn’t look so set on killing. “How could worthless trash like you even dare to think outside your unamazing box? Of course, the only reason I can think so highly is because my talent gives me the right to do so.” He narrowed his eyes. “Something you clearly lack. Those born without talent won’t amount to anything, that’s just the way the world works.”

The two engaged in a heated staredown, neither giving way.

“Ordinary untalented people are just stepladders for creating stronger hope. They can be less than that but they can never be anything more. They don’t posess any hope at all and that’s what separates the two of us.” Komaeda almost spat his words in disgust. “You’re hopeless.”

“This is why it’s so bothersome to try and reason with people who have lost reason. Me, hopeless? Take a good look at a mirror. You’re already a lost cause.” Komaeda 2.5 crossed his arms and looked down upon him with pity. “You truly have been blindsided by your talent if you think that that’s all there is to hope. Hey, have you ever heard of that saying? Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.”

“I happily accept your acknowledgement of talent as power.” Komaeda laughed for a bit and then paused, expertly holding the conversation in air. “But let me correct you, hope is more than just absolute power.  Hope, in other words, is a proactive will and talent… It’s an absolute “good” that’s brought forth by that!“

"You honestly believe in an "absolute good” how laughable. You place too much faith in this talent of yours. Just because you’re more talented, you think that you’re that better than the rest of us.“ Komaeda 2.5 looked down in contemplation. "Well, I suppose there is some truth in that. Talent is what places people in a hierarchy. The world is unfair because there is an unfair distribution of talent.”

“Hm? It looks like there might be some hope in you after all if you understand that much. But it’s not that remarkable of a hope.” Komaeda leveled a seething glare at him. “Without talent, you’re nothing more than a faceless commoner. The most you can aspire is to become a stepping stone of hope.”

“You’re right. Without talent, I’m at the bottom of the hierarchy. I, along with the rest of the population’s majority, am doomed to become mere stepping stones only. Such a needlessly cruel fate.” Even though Komaeda 2.5 said such despairing words, he hardly looked affected by them. Rather, he even smiled. “From our point of view, doesn’t it make your absolute good look bad?”

The air was thick with tension that neither of them had any plans of cutting, only adding on.

“Without talent, then everyone would be able to lead modest lives and find a modest amount of happiness.” He continued and then in a threatening tone, he added. “Were I able, I would erase all talent from the world.”

“Listen, you are without talent trash. The only reason why I let you talked this much is because I pity you for sharing my face. Well just because I’m hearing you out doesn’t mean I’m actually listening. After all, your words mean nothing without a talent to back you up.” Komaeda loudly proclaimed. “And how do you plan to get rid of talent when you have no talent of your own?”

“I won’t deny that I’m just a regular guy with a bit of bad luck. But even though I don’t have any talent, I don’t see myself losing to you.” Komaeda 2.5 stepped closer, challenging. “I have such terrible luck that I couldn’t possibly hope to defeat you.” He raised his finger and pointed at him with an aim that could kill. “But maybe I can take you out with me.”

“I’d like to see you try. Although I highly doubt that an untalented scum like you could possibly do anything that world-breaking.” Komeada laughed off the threat. “Who knows? Knowing my luck, maybe you’d get lucky instead and achieve your ideal world. That would be absolutely despairing for me.” Komaeda’s smile was twisted at the corners. “Then all I have to do is take all that despair and change it into hope.”

All of this could have been prevented if only Nagito Komaeda’s luck wasn’t so powerful. Now that there were two Komaeda’s, they decided amongst themselves to fight for their own ideals. With talent or without talent. Which one’s beliefs was stronger and would ultimately shape the world after?

This was the showdown nobody asked for but Komaeda was more than willing to fight for.


	71. Uncle Cockblock

Office romance wasn’t supposed to be this hard.

Especially not when the two involved parties have already confirmed their feelings for each other. They weren’t the first couple at Future Foundation either so there weren’t any qualms so long as they did their job. They were even past the overly sweet flirting stage and it wasn’t like they wanted to public displays of affection. After all, they had realistic expectations and rules on what was acceptable in a working environment.

They didn’t expect much when it came to privacy at the work place. They ate lunch with just the two of them just as much as they ate with the rest of their friends and coworkers. Whatever moments they could make together were brief and fleeting. Sitting beside each other during meetings, brushing hands when passing on reports, stealing glances whenever one passed by, and all the other small moments they could catch between them. There weren’t many of those moments but the few that did happen was usually and rudely interrupted.

No matter how hard it was to get some privacy between the two of them, a third party would constantly and easily intrude on their company.

Kizakura wasn’t even subtle about it but he sure was damn smooth when he did so. Sliding in between them out of seemingly nowhere with a cocky grin whenever they got too close, passing files or highfives whenever they tried to hold hands, redirecting the conversation before they could even say something sweet, shooting down invitations by coming up with acceptable work agendas that suddenly needed immediate attention- the list went on. One time he almost poured hot coffee at Naegi which he admitted was a calculated risk. He laughed that off and got away scotch free like with everything else he did.

The man persisted and he looked so professional about it that it was almost admirable if it weren’t downright infuriating.

“Don’t think that I don’t know what you’re doing.” Kirigiri eyes narrowed into a glare that could shake anyone but apparently not Kizakura.

He even smiled lopsidedly at her. “Is that how kids say hello these days?”

Her eyebrow twitched at that but she ignored his jab by refuting with her own. “You’re being childish for an adult.”

“And you’re acting like teenagers on hormones.” He chuckled in satisfaction as she tried to contain the blush that already spread across her face. “Where’s your sense of professionalism?” He further teased.

She huffed in an effort to mask her embarrassment with cool controlled anger. “As I recall, it was you who suggested that I lighten up.”

“We were in a killing game.” He noncommittally shrugged. “I say a lot of things when stressed.”

“What’s your real motive?” She demanded more than asked.

“Aren’t you the detective?” He shot back but her glare was formidable and had he been any lesser man, he would have withered on the spot. But he did eventually cave in. They were cutting it close for break time and the boss didn’t take tardiness too well. “Alright, you got me. I just always wanted to play the overprotective guardian, you know. Exercise my power and give tests to whoever wants your hand. You know how I live for the drama.”

She stared at him with a calculated gaze until she nodded, satisfied with his answer. “Well it’s working. Naegi is already gathering the courage to ask for your blessing as we speak.”

“I’m the cool uncle. He just needs to share a drink with me and he’ll pass. I’m sure he knows that I’m chill like that.” He pointed out with a laugh but it was shortlived since she didn’t join in on the fun. He stared back at her, his mouth agape. “You’re kidding, right? He does know that I was just messing with you.”

“Oh, he’s very serious, I assure you.” She held a hand over her mouth to cover an amused smile.

Kizakura’s face broke into a mischievous grin. “That’s great! I finally get to be a melodramatic uncle!”

“Weren’t you always?” She rolled her eyes at him.

“Ah, but now I don’t need to hold back!” He turned towards her and smirked. “Don’t think I’m going to go easy on your boyfriend just because he saved you during the first killing game. I’m still holding it against him that you almost died during the last one because of him.”

“By my choice, without his prior knowledge.” She reminded him.

“Still a foul by my book.” He playfully clicked his tongue at her. He was enjoying this too much.

Kizakura had a duty as an uncle to protect Kyouko’s life and by extension, the right to harass her and her boyfriend.


	72. Phone Calls, Love, and Other Delusions

It’s always the 3AM calls that talk.

Just like any other call at this ungodly hour, it was unplanned. It was more of an impulse if anything but he would never admit to that. Not out loud and with his pride at stake. Admitting to calling on impulse would mean admitting that there was this strong imagined need for him to call her and he was weak enough to let his emotions run high and act on it. No, he would never admit that he just so happened to be awake and emotionally distraught and worst of all, he wanted to hear a specific voice. Her voice. He needed reassurance and he would not let another hour pass by until he received it from her.

Why her? He’s been asking that question ever since he started denying its existence rooted at his heart.

“H-Hello?” She answered. Of course she would answer just as he expected. He wouldn’t have called otherwise if he was uncertain on who would pick up the call. He’s grateful that her partner is a heavy sleeper and he tries not to think to hard on the reasons why she was such a light sleeper.

“What is with that weak answer? I have half the mind to drop this call if you so wish to sleep that much.” He spoke with a commanding tone, easily masking his true intentions.

“B-Byakuya?!” That instantly woke her up. She stared at the screen for a while, confirming that this wasn’t a dream, and then she stood straighter. “This is just so u-unexpected! A personal call from you! I could almost die happy right now! Oh, but I don’t want to hang up on you so maybe I just might die after.”

He almost chuckled at her response. Almost. He won’t though. That’s not how their relationship works. He might be sleep-deprived but he still has his standards and image to uphold. “Quit blathering. Don’t waste the honor of receiving a call from the esteemed Byakuya Togami.”

“Y-Yes, sir!” She recomposes herself although her voice comes out as a longing coo. “Why did you call if you don’t mind me asking?”

“I strangely missed you.”

There was a pregnant pause between them as they held each other’s gaze.

Touko’s eyes were as wide as saucers at his declaration. His words had frozen her on the spot as she caught her breath. She was just so still that it looked like she might have fainted with her eyes open. Byakuya on the other hand, mirrored her. He had turned white when he realized that he had said that out loud rather than in his head. He hadn’t meant to admit to that and now the dynamic between them has been thrown into chaos. This was not their familiar territory and they did not know what to do with uncharted lands. Neither was willing to make the first move.

She sucked in a breath when her body reminded her to breathe and the sound, though soft, was loud enough to break the silence. She had no choice now but to take the first step for them.

“C-Could you r-repeat what you just said?” She stammered just as much as she mentally fumbled. It was a cheap move but she couldn’t trust herself to ask him of anything else. What did he mean by that? Should she expect? Daydreaming was one thing but for things to happen just like that, she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

And although Byakuya had a monumental ego, he was not one to lie. Not anymore. He knew that she had already heard him the first time and so he could not retract his words. That’s alright, he had no intention of doing so in the first place. He gathered himself again and the grace returned to his posture as he confidently admitted, “Perhaps your ears are going bad along with your eyes. Must I repeat myself? I said, I strangely missed you. Don’t expect me to say that again.”

Touko withdrew a sharp breath as he heard him say those words again. Something was changing and she felt that things were moving too fast. Her head was getting dizzy despite just standing there this whole time but it was as if the air was knocked out of her. She knew she said she would rather die after the phone call but she thought that it wouldn’t be too bad to die right now in this moment. She’s not a fan of romantic tragedies so poorly written so she holds on to her life as his words echo through her head and heart.

“I…” She croaked and although he looked at her expectantly, it wasn’t demanding. It wasn’t harsh or impatient at all. She’d blame it on her drowsiness but she could have sworn that he was staring at her softly. Gauging her reaction, calculating and yet tender at the same time. It was more than enough to smoothen the lump in her throat as she replied, “I strangely miss you too.”

He stares at her for a few seconds, his expression unreadable, but it quickly morphs to one of approval. “Good. Because this would be embarrassing otherwise and you would be a fool to not miss me.”

The words that follow after are awkward at first but they came out less strained as time progressed. They talk as if it’s a somewhat forced conversation and yet at the same time, they talk as if it’s natural for them to have this conversation in the first place. They talk way past the first ungodly hour and they talk more after that. They talk as if the world wasn’t in shambles and they had the responsibility of restoring it. They talk as if they were ordinary people with ordinary problems. They talk as if they were the only to people awake in the world. They just talk.

They’re heading for unfamiliar territories but they realize that it’s okay since they’re with familiar company.


	73. The Friend of my Friend

They don’t know what sort of relationship they have.

They weren’t strangers since they at least knew each other’s names. They even hang out quite frequently or rather they gave the illusion of it. It might be more accurate that they were tolerating each other’s presence rather than genuinely bonding. They hardly talked to each other and even when they do, it was almost always about Ruruka. They never went past being just that friend of their friend to each other. They weren’t friends, were they? They were friends with Ruruka and the only reason Seiko and Sonosuke would even be in the same room together was because Ruruka was there.

So then why were they still together right now even without their connecting party member?

Perhaps it was just out of routine. Now that they think about it, their lives seemingly revolved around Ruruka. Most of their schedule was dictated by her and they went along with it not daring to refuse. She would lead them and they would almost automatically follow. So now that Ruruka had decided to separate for a bit, the two were left with no direction.

And unexpectedly, they had gravitated towards each other.

It was awkward to say the least and it was uncomfortable at worst. More so for Seiko who was always nervous. It’s not that she was afraid of Sonosuke but rather she was just hesitant over the idea of interacting with him. He hardly talked in the first place but that just made her wary of what he could be silently thinking about. It was hard to concentrate on her chemicals when he was standing at one corner of the lab with his eyes close. She tried to ignore him at first.

Until he crumpled unceremoniously to the floor.

“Nngh!” Sonosuke winced as he knelt.

“W-What’s wrong?” Seiko stuttered as she rushed towards his side. He looked pale and weak. She mentally berrated herself for not noticing it any sooner but he looked just about to collapse. “Tell me your symptoms quickly!” She ordered him as her mind rifled through the medicines she had in stock. She has never seen him this weak and it worried her.

Her concern was proven to be misplaced after a low grumble erupted from him.

“…Hungry.” He grunted as he held his empty stomach.

She thought she had heard wrong until his stomach growled again. “Oh, o-okay.”

Luckily for them, they happened to stumble upon an underclassman chef who happily prepared them appropriate meals. Seiko wasn’t even that hungry but she had to admit that the food was delicious enough for her to not ignore. She was already halfway through her serving when she noticed that Sonosuke hadn’t eaten his second spoonful yet.

“Is something wrong?” She asked in concern as she racked her head for a possible explanation for his behavior. The food was scrumptious and there was only one reason she could think of as to why anyone would hesitate to eat it. Aside from poison that is. “Are you… allergic to the food?” Then again, an allergy might as well be treated as poison.

He shook his head and frowned. “It’s not sweet…”

“Sweet?” Seiko returned her eyes at her plate. Of course it wasn’t sweet. Steaks were supposed to be savory not sweet. And then it hits her. “Do you miss Ruruka’s sweets?”

He nodded numbly, the action reminiscent of a shy boy. “I keep craving for her treats that everything else tastes bland in comparison.” He sighed longingly. “I haven’t actually eaten anything since she left.”

“But didn’t she leave you a stash of sweets? I remember those were more than enough to get you by until she returns.” She pointed out.

“…” He looked at anywhere else but at her.

“You ate them all already, didn’t you?” She asked accusingly even though his faint blush was incriminating evidence enough. She sighed. “That’s an unhealthy diet, you know. It’s bad enough that you eat so much sweets but not eating anything else is deadly.”

“Isn’t that why I take your supplements? So I could eat more candy?” He asked like a kid who was already caught but still making excuses.

Seiko frowns in distaste. She had been worried over his unbalanced diet since every time she saw him, he was always feeding on Ruruka’s treats. She could hardly do anything to correct his lifestyle choices so instead she gave him some maintenance drugs for better digestion. She wondered if she made the right choice since he clearly didn’t grasp their purpose.

“The supplements are there to help but not to be used as a solution.” But she knew better that he wouldn’t take that reprimand alone so she offered him a threat for side dish. “I’m going to stop supplying you with them if you don’t balance your diet. Remember, you won’t get to eat as much sweets in the long-term without these.”

“Less sweets?” He almost sounded heartbroken and Seiko would have pitied him if only he didn’t glare at his plate like it was an enemy. “I still would have liked it better if it were sweet.”

Sonosuke was apparently more childish than his looks led on. Seiko briefly wondered if this was how Ruruka saw him and it was just so plain to see that Seiko couldn’t understand why she never knew. Well, of course she knew why. She never did bother to talk to him for more than five seconds without dropping Ruruka’s name. He was alright to be around with, she supposed. Sonosuke was definitely harmless compared to Ruruka but Seiko would be killed if she said that out loud. In short, he was nice who just so happened to have a demanding sweet tooth.

The fact was that he was acting like a child and she was the type of person who couldn’t ignore children.

“Here. This is a chewable.” She handed him a tablet. “Try the steak again after you’ve eaten this.”

He did as he was told and grinded the tablet in between his teeth. His face instantly grimaced at the somewhat bitter taste but with Seiko glaring at him expectantly, he dutifully chewed it and swallowed. A weird aftertaste was left in his mouth and he could have sworn his tongue faintly tingled. He’s not quite sure what she was expecting from him but he did as he was told and proceeded to eat a slice of steak.

His eyes popped open at the flavor. “Dewicious!” He had already forgotten the bitter taste of the medicine since all he could taste was sweetness that blended with the tenderness of the steak. Sweetness melted in his mouth as he ate slice after slice as if it was a light snack and not a heavy meal.

“I guess it worked out for the best.” She let out a breath which she had been holding the whole time. “It’s a drug that selectively enhances the taste buds that detect sweetness. That’s still in its experimental stages so tell me if there are any side effects.” She had originally created this for when Ruruka will undoubtedly ask for one during exam season but she felt that Sonosuke’s reaction was far more satisfying than what Seiko would have gotten from her.

“It’s sweet! It’s dewicious!” He said in between mouthfuls of food and he even managed to grin widely.

His smile was infectious as she smiled lightly as well. “I’m glad that this was a success.”

And as they enjoyed the rest of their meal, they found out that it was possible for them to hang out even without their connecting third party member.

Because even without Ruruka’s presence, Seiko’s and Sonosuke’s connection still remained.


	74. Meet the Future Sister-In-Law

"I thought I'd never see you again." Komaru practically wheezed as she broke her run by hugging her brother as tightly as she could.

Makoto returned the embrace with just as much affection if not more, his hands patted her gently as he chuckled freely. "Well I can't say the same."

Komaru pulled back, shocked at his choice of words. "How cruel! You mean to say that you didn't miss me at all?"

"No, that's not it, Komaru. I never said that." He shook his head and smiled reassuringly. "I just meant that I was sure that we'd meet again."

"Geez, always the optimistic one." She found herself returning the smile just as easily. "It's good to know that part of you hasn't changed one bit."

"Well it's my only redeeming point you know." He joked with tears in his eyes as he looked at her with sibling pride.

"Yeah, I know." She sniffled as she wiped a few tears that had already flown.

It was a long road just to get to this moment. This moment where these siblings were finally reunited. It was a painful journey for each of them and it was riddled with despair all throughout but they never gave up. They didn't lose sight of hope and so they persevered. Until finally, they were reunited at last. Not everyone had survived but they were grateful that at least both of them were safe. Here, holding each other, this much they were more than grateful for.

"Ugh! Okay, we get it. You two missed each other!" Touko unceremoniously interrupted their moment with an annoyed groan. "You already hugged on it, isn't that enough drama? Don't you think that this is dragging for too long? We have a schedule to run by you know."

"Touko!" Komaru jumped back from the hug just so she could properly glare at Touko who seemed unaffected by it. "Give us a break, will ya?"

"It's good to see you again too, Touko." Makoto chuckled and greeted his friend goodnaturedly. He would have hugged her too but she declined so he just offered his smile instead. "Thanks for taking care of Komaru."

Touko appreciated the gesture although she hardly showed it. Her words lacked their usual bite though so maybe that was as good as it'll get. "Yeah you should be. She didn't exactly make it easy for me." She scoffed.

"Hey! That was uncalled for!" Komaru objected.

"I call it as I see it." Touko stated as a matter-of-fact.

"Meanie!" Komaru stuck out her tongue at her to which Touko merely frowned at her childish antics.

Makoto on the other hand, watched fondly if not slightly amused by their display. "Well aren't you two cute together."

And just like that, the banter was broken.

"C-Cute?!" Touko stammered right before her whole body became stiff and unresponsive.

"Aaand she's frozen..." Komaru sighed. They still needed to work on Touko's tolerance for compliments.

"Ahaha, my bad. I forgot that she does that." Makoto sheepishly apologized. "So I'm guessing that Touko will be joining us?"

And all of a sudden, the lighthearted atmosphere was replaced with a growing tension as it was Komaru's turn to freeze, her nerves shot.

"Actually, there's a reason why Touko's dropping in on our reunion..." She started hesitantly and then backed out at the last second. "You tell him, Touko."

That was apparently enough to bring her back to her senses.

"M-Me?" Touko looked back at her indignantly. "Oh, h-hold it right there. No way! We already talked about this and you agreed that you'd tell him."

"Only because I lost a bet!" Komaru pointed out in the hopes that she could get away with it.

"That you still agreed upon!" Touko hustled. She crossed her arms and tilted her chin upwards as she urged her on. "Come on, Komaru. Grow a pair already and fess up."

"Not really my kind of idiom considering I'm a girl." Komaru grumbled in defeat. She knew that it was useless to start this fight anyways. "Maybe we should have stuck with the whole secrecy plan."

"You're the one who was all "if we're going to do this then we're going to do this properly, starting with a no secrets policy" so take responsibility!" Touko ordered her.

"And you should know by now that I hardly put any thought into my words. It was a spur of the moment thing!" Komaru argued, her cheeks were dusted pink. "Also, now? Really? Can't I have a few minutes to prepare myself? I don't think I have the guts to tell him right now."

"Hm? Tell me what, Komaru?" Makoto innocently asked.

"Hey! Big bro!" Komaru all but jumped when he joined in the conversation. As soothing as his smile was, it wasn't enough to calm her nerves. Oh, god so was she doing this? Apparently so. "Well! You see..." She fumbled as she tried to put together the words. "Uh..." She already knew what to say but had trouble actually getting them out of her mouth. "Touko and I..." The words seemed to be stuck in her throat as she coughed in an attempt to get rid of the itch there.

"Oh, for crying out loud! Just spit it out already." Touko raised her hand in exasperation and gave Komaru one last literal push.

"Arekindasortadating." Komaru spewed hastily and all at once. She had to pry her eyes open since she winced right after. But she knew that now that it was out, all that was left was the verdict and so she anxiously stared at her brother for any reaction.

"Oh..." He merely said and fell quiet for a while. Until he smiled again. "And?"

"And... that's it." She replied, not quite sure what else he wanted her to say. That reaction kind of fell flat compared to her expectations. "Wait, did you hear what I just said or do you need me to do a repeat or?"

"I heard you the first time." He laughed for a bit and then settled for a lopsided smile as he confessed, "I know."

"You..." She stared at him incredulously. "You already know?"

"Well you two weren't exactly subtle about it." He explained with a cheeky grin.

Komaru could practically feel her blush of embarrassment. "What gave us away?" She squeaked.

"The flirting and that one phone call." He easily explained.

"See! I told you to check if you actually ended the call!" Touko chided her.

"Hey! It was just one time!" Komaru pointed out.

"Clearly one time too many." Touko retorted.

"I said I was sorry!" Komaru deflated.

Before the two could continue their argument, Makoto thought it was best for him to intervene with a round of applause. "Congrats on your relationship." He then placed his hand over his sister's shoulder and said, "Don't cause too much trouble for Touko, okay Komaru?"

"Isn't this supposed to be the part where you're the overprotective brother and you threaten my girlfriend instead?" She raised an eyebrow, confused.

"Normally but it just so happens that your girlfriend is much more reliable than you." He playfully ruffled her hair.

"Ack! Betrayed by my own blood!" She dramatically fell on her knees as if struck by a blow.

"Hmph, you must be so heartbroken over the fact that as strong as your brocon game is, his siscon isn't so much." Touko slyly teased her.

"Not again with the brocon. Touko, we've been over this. You're never letting this go, are you?" Komaru sighed in defeat.

"It's alright, Komaru. I'm sure Touko would be more than willing to comfort you." Makoto smirked at both of them.

"S-Shut up!" They both shot back at him accompanied with blushes and deathglares to which he merely laughed them off.

Teasing aside, it looks like the introduction as girlfriends was well received. They were only visiting though so maybe next time, they'd be introducing themselves differently then.

 


	75. Welcoming Speech to New Hope('s Peak Academy)

Good morning, everyone! It's so nice to see all of you today and it's also a bit overwhelming. Oh, but I mean that in a good way! I didn't expect the attendance to be so high so I'm just pleasantly surprised. We're off to a good start! I'm Makoto Naegi, your headmaster here at New Hope's Peak Academy. It's an honor to be speaking in front of you all and frankly, it's a bit nerve-wracking.

There's a lot that I want to share with you and I guess I should start by thanking all of you for showing up. Choosing Hope's Peak is not the easiest decision to make. In the past, this school has been known for housing those with the greatest of talents and for a while it became the most prestigious high school. But it can't be overlooked that Hope's Peak doesn't exactly have a spotless record. In fact, it's now more known for the Biggest, Most Awful, Most Tragic Event in History and the mutual killing games that took place here. To this day, we can still feel the despair from those horrors. However, we can't let that hold us back forever.

You are all here today for a reason, a reason that you chose for yourselves. You all chose to look past the past and see the future instead. You all chose to enroll here because you see that there is more to this place than despair. You chose hope. This isn't the same Hope's Peak Academy anymore. We're throwing out the archaic hierarchy that only those with talent, only the cream of the crop, only a select few, are worthy to be bearers of hope. That kind of backward thinking isn't true and it will only divide us. Hope isn't something that's restricted to just talent, it's so much more than that.

Hope is something fundamental that's found in our hearts. It's the idea of a better tomorrow. It keeps us moving and the world turning. It's something that cannot die and not even the greatest of despair can crush it. And what's so amazing about hope is that it can be found everywhere and in every person. We are all pillars of hope. Hope is in all of you- in all of us. Inside of us is the capacity to do more and change the world, we just have to believe. I believe in you, in us creating a better future. As long as there's a tomorrow, we can still overcome yesterday's despair. And today is what we make it to be because we can- because we have hope. Hope keeps the world moving and so we move on from this despair. We move forward and we can go the extra mile, step by step.

Welcome to New Hope's Peak Academy and welcome to our first step in moving forward!


End file.
